Twilight
by Tap-Chan
Summary: Their men were dark hungry predators, their women sensual and beautiful. He was the oldest, their leader. He had never expected to have a true mate, never dreamt of a family until he met her.
1. Prologue

Title: Twilight  
Author: Tapestry  
Email: Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com  
Rating: R  
Standard Disclaimer Apply  
14th Jan 2003  
  
"Woman was created from the ribs of man  
Not from his head to top him  
Nor from his feet to be walked upon  
She was made from his side to be his equal  
From beneath his arms to be protected  
From very near his heart to be loved."  
--Anonymous--  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Twilight  
  
The fall of the sun  
The rise of the night  
Lit by the moon  
After twilight  
  
Predator without a heart  
Demon of the night  
Hiding in the shadows  
Of the dark  
  
Know the man within  
See my loneliness  
See my anger  
See my hatred  
See my torment  
  
See my soul  
Twilight comes  
Free me  
Rescue me  
From my endless twilight  
  
~ Tapestry ~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~ Prologue: ~  
  
  
Their race was known as Panthera. They had great psychic talents along  
with the ability to shapeshift into the big black cat, the panther. They  
had all the extraordinary gifts granted to the cats in human form.  
Their sense of smell, hearing, speed, strength and sight, greater than  
that of humans or real animals. Their kind liked to be shrouded in mystery.  
  
Their men were dark hungry predators. Their women were beauty and   
sensuality personified. In many ways, they resembled their feline halves.  
  
The only differences that set them apart from their feline brethren were  
their long life-spans, their human and animal cunning, and their mating  
habits.  
  
While normal cats never mated for life, all Pantheras only had one true  
mate. And once that mate was found, they stayed together for life.  
  
Of course, there was nothing stopping those without mates to indulge in  
their sexual appetite.  
  
A true mate had to have just the right chemistry that matched perfectly.  
A true mate was recognized with the taming of the predatory urges to kill.  
Without a true mate, the males were doomed to lose their human form  
and become man-eaters for all time. These turned Pantheras lived up to   
their name of man-eaters by slaughtering and killing only humans, and so,  
would need to be destroyed.  
  
Pantheras lived in cities that harboured nearby forests and wildlife  
preserves. Like true felines, they hunted and consumed large amounts of   
meat. Making do with human food was a modern way.  
  
  
He was the oldest, their leader. And he was utterly alone. It wasn't  
that he lacked for female company, indeed, single Panthera females as well   
as human women were attracted to his dark dangerous aura as well as his   
notorious reputation for pleasure. Raw sexual and animalistic attraction.   
He was lonely never having found his true mate. A soulmate. True mates were   
becoming harder and harder to find despite their numbers. The males  
rivaled the females two to one.  
  
Like the majority of his kind, he had dark ebony hair. His eyes burned  
blue like the night sky. He was at the moment, living in the city. He would  
be returning to his home near the outskirts soon. He would be glad to be  
back among his own kind once more. Glad to be away from the sounds and   
smells of the city. The smell of humans.  
  
Staring out into the night sky, he felt as if his insides would never be   
warm again. His existence was cold. Barren. Lonely. He really had nothing  
to hold him to this earth.  
He was dedicated to his race, but he had existed for over a thousand   
years. The urge to kill was strong. The need to taste human flesh. It was   
becoming harder and harder to ignore his panther side, roaring, snarling   
for an easy kill.  
  
His eyes turned to find the naked human woman in his bed, sleeping   
soundly. Unaware of the danger she was in. He never should have accepted  
her offer as a bed partner. She was only proving to be a temptation. A   
visceral tug on the demon, calling to devour.  
  
He cursed, feeling trapped. There was no way he could change into his  
feline form now, not with a human in his apartment.  
  
His name was Endymion, but in this modern day, he was known by the name...  
  
"Darien? What are you doing?" called the woman, getting up. "Come back  
to bed, darling." she purred.   
  
He merely lifted an eyebrow. Her purr wasn't quite as sensual and sexy as  
those done by the females of his kind. He walked back towards the bed, the  
woman lifting her arms up to him in welcome. He went into her embrace.  
  
His hand reached for, what were those rubber things called? --ah yes,  
condoms. The woman stopped his hand. Her green eyes staring into his own.  
  
"Darling, have you forgotten? I'm on the pill." murmured the woman, an  
arm curling about his neck, her legs parting in eagerness.  
  
He merely stared down at her before reaching down between her thighs to  
ascertain she was ready. She was. Without any preliminaries, he thrust  
into her, her shriek of pleasure filling the room, her nails digging into  
his back. He grunted and growled softly. His animal instincts coming to   
life. Like any fanged animal, he pinned one of the woman's shoulders to  
the bed with his teeth, his hips pounding into her. The woman cried out,  
climaxing. A hiss escaping his lips as satisfaction washed over him.   
  
  
Moments later, the woman was once again dozing off to sleep, a fine sheen  
of sweat coating both their bodies. He got up, leaving the bed again,   
walking stark naked towards the drink, humans called alcohol. Usually he   
didn't drink, but tonight seemed like a good night for it.  
  
He tossed back a glass of brandy, the alcohol burning down his throat.  
The woman had been lying about contraceptive. As a Panthera male, he was   
aware of all subtle nuances in a female's body. Especially a mate's. He  
had picked up easily with his psychic ability, the woman's plans to trap  
him into the institution humans called marriage by conceiving a child.  
  
It was sometimes nauseating how humans would use and exploit an innocent  
life merely for monetary gain. Unfortunately for the woman's plans....  
  
That would never happen.  
  
The gift of a child within his race was controlled. The gift of children  
was only given to a true mate. The males and females could only produce   
offspring with their true mates. Maybe it was something to do with the   
chemistry between mates.  
  
So, there were never any unwanted offspring. Though, all Panthera  
children were cherished and treasured, as children were rare within their  
race. Besides, half-breeds were impossible, since children were only   
conceived between true mates. And there had never been an instance of a   
human being a true mate.  
  
Thank goodness he was leaving the city tomorrow.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
To be continued...  
  
Sorry people, I've been having shingles and boy is it PAINFUL!! *sigh*   
Anyway, what do you think of this story? Should I continue?   
I feel weird writing like this... :p I just don't do sexual scenes well.  
*This is probably cause of my Asian upbringing. Not meaning that all   
Asians are prudes, mind you!* Ah, don't mind me, I'm just rambling. :p  
  
14/01/03  
Edited: 15/01/03 


	2. An Unusual Stranger

Title: Twilight  
Author: Tapestry  
Email: Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com  
Rating: R  
Standard Disclaimer Apply  
*...* denotes mind speaking  
19/01/03  
  
"Woman was created from the ribs of man  
Not from his head to top him  
Nor from his feet to be walked upon  
She was made from his side to be his equal  
From beneath his arms to be protected  
From very near his heart to be loved."  
--Anonymous--  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
AN: Thanks to all my reviewers, you've all been great. :) I could have  
done werewolves, but I like big black cats better. Oh yeah, since the  
olden name is Endymion, and right now, this is modern day...I'll stick  
with Darien. To answer some of my reviewers, please read the AN at the  
bottom.  
  
  
~ Chapter 1: An Unusual Stranger ~  
  
  
The wind didn't move, the grass didn't rustle. The forest was silent.   
A small herd of deer stood calmly, grazing beneath old pine trees. Unaware   
of the danger that would soon explode out of the night.  
  
An old deer lifted its head, listening...waiting. Sensing nothing, it   
returned to the sweet smelling grass, oblivious to the large hungry   
predator watching.  
  
Up high above in the trees, a pair of strange startling dark blue eyes  
shone like jewels in the night. If one did not look hard enough, those pair  
of eyes could have been mistaken for the stars above. Above the herd, a  
large black panther waited, its tail twitching. Intelligent eyes separated  
the weakest in the herd. The easiest prey. Shifting softly on the branch,  
the panther waited for an opening.  
  
The moment the panther spotted its chance, it sprang. A good two hundred  
pounds of flesh, muscle and bone, dropping fluidly from the branch and down  
to the ground among the startled deer. Its prey startled, tried to bolt.  
  
The panther leapt once more, faster, stronger than any other cat in the  
wild. Sharp long canines bared, going for its prey's jugular. Teeth sank  
into the helpless deer's neck, tearing through muscle and veins. Blood   
poured from the wound.   
  
The herd escaped, leaving the predator with its kill. Twitching its tail  
victoriously, surveying its prize, the panther following age-old instinct,  
dragged its kill up towards a tall tree. The large cat snarled hearing the  
howl of wolves.  
  
Above in the trees, the cat hissed and growled a warning at the scavengers  
emerging from the trees at the smell of blood. The wolves sensing the   
panther growled in defiance as they slowly slinked back, away from the   
unearthly creature that inhabited their woods.  
  
With an eerie cry echoing into the night, the panther settled itself down  
to feast...  
  
  
He was back at his estate, away from humans. Stretching his taut muscles,  
he worked a crick out of his neck. With the invention of cars and modern  
technology, his people had had to adopt and adapt to the ways of humans.  
With technological advances, it had been necessary to change.  
  
Of course, the good thing about their long life spans was the ability to  
amass a fortune. With money, their kind had been able to hide their   
existence from human eyes in plain sight.  
  
Endymion Dariyavien Praedari, known to the modern world as Darien   
Praedari, mysterious billionaire and eligible bachelor extraordinaire. His   
reputation reminded him of the woman he had sent away only this morning.   
She had gotten angry, shrieking hysterically at him when he had informed   
her he wouldn't be seeing her again. She had hissed curses at him before   
leaving his apartment.  
  
Human women were unpredictable, growing more and more unreasonable with   
the passing of time. Rubbing his neck, he turned to look out into the  
forest, with the arrival of dusk, light from the sunset would turn the trees  
to a beautiful dance of russet and flame. Now, with the rise of the night  
and the moon, the woods were dark, with an eerie beauty and radiating a   
mysterious aura. Hiding secrets and creatures of the night within their   
depths. This was his world. Creature of the night.  
  
Two slender arms wound around his chest, holding him, stroking his hard  
muscled chest. The woman pressed her body so that he could feel every curve,  
every line against the back of his body. The woman purred loudly, rubbing  
her cheek against the back of his shirt.  
  
"Welcome back, Darien..." whispered the woman. Her inviting scent rose to  
greet his nose, a clear enticement. "How was your trip to the city?"  
  
"It went well. How did you get in here, Ramona?"  
  
"I missed you, darling." smiled the Panthera woman. Ramona was a known  
seductress among the Panthera. Acknowledged for her dark beauty and   
welcoming nature. The woman had an insatiable appetite for pleasure. Darien  
had once asked what she had thought of a true mate.  
  
The female had merely shrugged and replied non-comittedly. She would have  
liked a true mate, but until that time came, she had the right to pursue  
her own fun and bestow her charms on whomever she pleased. After all, a true  
mate was for all-time, and she wanted to live a little first.  
  
Ramona moved seductively in front of him, licking her lips. A feral growl  
rose to his throat as he reached out a hand to catch hold of her. Pulling  
her close, his mouth came down hard on hers, plundering. Ramona gave a   
mewl of pleasure as his hands roamed her curves, investigating scented  
hollows.  
  
Suddenly, he lifted his head, his senses alert. Putting the enticing  
female from him, Ramona gave a yowl of protest, her lips turning into a  
pout. Dark eyes irritated before pricking her ears to listen for whatever  
disturbance that had drawn Darien's attentions from her body.  
  
  
He sensed her before she came. His mind fanning out to pinpoint her  
location. Walking towards the side doors, he opened it and inhaled. Scents  
of the forest filled his lungs. The scent of prey. The scent of his   
brethren. The scent of the forest.  
  
But another scent lingered, one he hadn't sensed earlier. Brows knitting,  
he inhaled once more, trying to place the smell. It was the scent of a   
human and yet, not. Puzzling over the mystery, he waited.  
  
A panther, its glossy fur gleaming like a raven's wing. Queer intelligent   
amethyst eyes looked up at him. He frowned down at the cat, his eyes going  
back to the forest line, searching.  
  
Not finding what he was looking for, his attention once again came to  
rest on the large feline.  
  
"Hello Raye."  
  
The black cat's form wavered, changing to that of a petite woman with  
dark glossy hair and amethyst eyes. Raven Ceres Praedari Daravinsky, known  
to her intimates as Raye.  
  
"Hello Darien...Ramona." nodded Raye noticing the Panthera female behind  
her brother. "Jade isn't here. He's out fishing." murmured his sister  
seeing his wandering eye, scanning the dark trees behind her.  
  
He frowned down at his baby sister. "And Celeste?" he questioned.  
  
"With Lita."  
  
His black scowl grew. With good reason.  
  
Celeste Daravinsky was one of the two females that had been born barely  
two years ago. She had been the only survivor of Raye's litter of three.  
The child was precious and a hope for their race. A possible mate for one  
of their males.  
  
"You should be the one watching her, Raye. It isn't like you to leave   
your precious cub alone." he reprimanded.  
  
"Oh, don't give me that tone, Endymion Dariyavien Praedari. Celeste is my  
baby. But I felt I had to be the one to inform you. You weren't here   
earlier this evening, so I had to come round again." snapped Raye, her eyes  
flashing then flicking over to Ramona once more, taking in her appearance.  
  
"The human."  
  
Raye nodded. "The human. But she smells different. She came here two days  
ago, camping in the woods. Our people have been keeping watch on her. It  
has been most unusual. Indeed, Zoy swears she is no ordinary human."  
  
He lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Zoy says she's quicker. More agile than normal humans. He believes she  
also almost discovered him watching her," said Raye.  
  
Frowning at this revelation, he walked out of the mansion, turning to  
stare at his sister, a question in his eyes.  
  
Ramona frowned. "Who cares about the human? She's probably just taking a  
vacation from the city and doesn't know this is private property."  
  
Raye gritted her teeth. "Well, she shouldn't be here. One of our males  
might just turn at her scent and savage her. We don't need a dead woman on  
our hands. The authorities would come looking."  
  
"That is such an exaggeration." sniffed Ramona. Raye scowled at the  
younger woman. Ramona was a good two centuries younger than she was. Merely   
a fledgling. The woman couldn't comprehend the trouble the human could bring  
to their doorstep.  
  
"Darien?" prompted Raye.  
  
Darien had remained silent all this while, his dark eyes gleaming.  
  
"Show me where, Raye."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Two panthers weaved in and out through the trees, leaping over fallen   
logs and across streams. Both cats moving as one. Their movements fluid as   
quicksilver.  
  
One large male with glossy blue-black fur sheltering the smaller female   
with its large size and weight. The female snarled in warning, irritation  
in its every movement. With their speed, the pair reached a clump of trees  
that opened out into a clearing with fairly level ground. By the trees,   
they saw a blonde man and a young woman with chocolate hair and flashing  
emerald eyes. The man held a small child in his arms protectively as the  
pair of cats approached.  
  
The large male prowled about the pair and child, sniffing the air. The   
female merely padded straight towards the man and child, butting her head   
against the man's legs, purring affectionately.  
  
The blonde man laughed, bringing the child down to the cat's head. The  
child giggled, cooing in rapt attention, its chubby arms flailing trying  
to reach the panther's glossy black head.  
  
The panther purred, nuzzling the child. The child squealed softly, hands  
batting at the cat's head. The panther merely nuzzled the child once more.  
  
The blonde man chuckled softly. "Celeste missed you, Raye."  
  
The female feline shape-shifted, returning to her normal human form. Her  
arms plucked the baby girl out of her mate's arms. "And mommy missed her  
little girl." cooed Raye, lifting the child up to eye level. The baby  
stared with fascination into her mother's gleaming jewel eyes. Celeste   
gurgled, blowing bubbles at her mother. Tiny hands reached out to pat her  
mother's face.  
  
Raye laughed softly, nuzzling her daughter's nose.  
  
The blonde man smiled, then turned to face his brother-in-law.  
  
"Hello Darien."  
  
The large male panther took the form of its dark-haired counterpart. Dark  
flashing eyes frowned on Lita before meeting Jadeite's eyes.  
  
"Jadeite." acknowledged Darien with a nod. His gaze flew once more to  
Lita whose emerald eyes scowled at him.  
  
"I know what you're thinking, Darien...but Nephlyte isn't the boss of me."  
hissed his cousin.  
  
"He is your mate, he has the right. You females are becoming more and   
more unreasonable each century. Just like the human females. We've been  
mixing among them for so long you've forgotten just how territorial our  
males are." bit out Darien.  
  
"We're merely adapting, cousin. And don't scowl, you'll get wrinkles. I  
know how territorial our males are. But we are family, so you should trust  
in each other instead of snarling at each other." murmured Lita   
affectionately, smoothing a hand over Darien's forehead.  
  
He snorted, jerking his head away. "Panthera females don't do that."  
He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Females" under his  
breath.  
  
Lita sighed dropping her hand to her side. With a sardonic look, she   
poked Darien in the chest. "Well, this female does, oh great high and mighty  
one. Now come and see this human, and don't growl."  
  
Raye snickered before stifling it with a swift hard glare from her mate.  
She had learned long ago that sometimes, it wasn't too good to poke a male  
too hard in the dominant egotistical protective streak. She'd done that once  
with Jadeite, and it hadn't been pretty.  
  
It wasn't that he had abused her in any way, no, Panthera males never  
abused their females or children. But Jadeite had tortured her. Tortured   
her with pleasure. She could still remember herself begging him to end the  
fires of her body that had made her so damn sensitive to every sensation.  
Sometimes, it just didn't pay to be a female of a species so sexually  
vibrant and virile like the Panthera. He had in the end of course, allowed  
her release. But he had started it right back again afterward. By morning,  
she had been amazed at her ability to move.  
  
Her eyes found Jadeite looking at her smugly with a sort of feline   
satisfaction in his eyes. Lifting an eyebrow and grinning at her, Raye  
flushed and returned her attention to her daughter. But his voice echoed  
seductively in her mind, sending warm shivers of awareness down her spine.  
  
*I love you, Raven...and tonight I will again tell you how much.*  
  
Raye peeked at her mate from under her long lashes, a smile curling on   
her lips. *I love you too, mate.*  
  
The pair found them being eyed by Lita and Darien. Raye flushed, and hid  
her face in Celeste's shoulder. Jadeite pulled Raye towards him, one arm  
curling round her shoulders. He grinned at them unashamed, a gleam in his  
blue-green eyes.  
  
Lita rolled her eyes. "Get a room. Your pheromones are polluting the air."  
  
"Hey! We don't say anything when you act all mushy with Nephlyte."   
protested Raye.  
  
Darien sighed, leaving the couple and Lita to argue. He moved swiftly,  
silently down to the clearing below. His acute eyesight noted the camping  
tent. The fire pit and various objects and utensils strewn about. He   
frowned, searching his memory for the layout of the land. There was a   
stream nearby with a clear pool and waterfall. Not sensing the human about  
camp, he made his way slowly towards the waterfall, his sensitive hearing  
picking out splashing and humming.  
  
  
Creeping towards the waterfall, he crouched low by a boulder, balancing  
on the balls of his feet, his body tense, coiled like a spring ready to  
attack at the slightest provocation.  
  
The human woman was unusual to be certain. He doubted he had made a sound,  
but the woman had somehow sensed his presence. Her humming had stopped. He  
watched as she cocked her head to the side as if listening for him. He   
hadn't been breathing loudly, but she had suddenly swung about, searching   
the forest for an intruder.  
  
"Who's there?!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
His eyebrows lifted in admiration, stepping out from behind his hiding  
place. No human had ever managed to detect his presence unless he wished it.  
No human had ever heard his silent approach until it was too late. It   
intrigued him that this slip of a woman whose appearance looked more   
child-like than woman had known he was close.  
  
The woman gave a gasp of outrage before submerging her body into the   
water, right up to the neck. A smile crept onto his lips as he noticed her  
flushed cheeks while she tried to cross her arms over her breasts   
discreetly. He took a moment to study her appearance.  
  
Her silvery blonde hair was wet, shining silver in the night from the  
light of the moon. Her eyes were of deep aqua blue that glared at him. A  
small pretty nose and perfectly luscious pink lips in a pout. She had pale  
smooth porcelain complexion that any woman would have died for. Even with  
her arms over her chest, he noted her ample breasts that he suspected,   
would fit perfectly in the palm of his hand.  
  
His eyes lifted to stare at her face once more. This time, her features  
were locked in a dark angry scowl, her blue eyes flashing with fury, though  
her pink cheeks proclaimed her embarrassment. He could see her clearly as  
if it were day.  
  
"Are you quite finished you pig?! And who the hell are you?!" she   
demanded heatedly.  
  
A sardonic smile lifted his lips, his dark eyes pinning her on the spot.  
  
"That, my dear lady, should be my question as this is a private preserve.  
My property. My friends say you have been here for the past two days. I can  
charge you for trespassing." he drawled smoothly enjoying her anger.  
  
"And I'll sue you for being a pervert!"  
  
"A pervert? Lady, this is MY property. Any naked women I find on my  
grounds can be labeled as a flasher or guilty of indecent exposure."  
  
"A gentleman wouldn't have skulked about." hissed the woman indignantly.  
  
"As a trespasser, I have every right to be cautious."  
  
"Well then, turn around and allow me to dress, dammit!" exclaimed the  
woman angrily. With his psychic abilities, he easily picked up the riot of  
emotions rolling off her. Embarrassment, fury and irony at her situation.  
  
"By all means, we wouldn't want you getting a cold." he grinned, turning  
and presenting this strange tiny woman with his back although every animal  
instinct of his shrieked at him to face the woman and not turn his back.  
  
His ears followed the sound of her movements as water sloshed. Bare feet  
hitting rock as she climbed out of the pool. A cry broke through the night  
as he heard her slip.  
  
He whirled immediately, his reflexes kicking in. With a burst of speed,  
he was suddenly at her side, catching hold of her. Wet and naked.  
  
Eyes locked as he set her safely onto solid ground. A curious wrenching   
within him left him feeling curiously whole. He frowned at the sensation.   
What the hell had just happened?  
  
He dragged her scent into his lungs. Human and yet not human. He waited  
for the demonic predatory urges to come. Ready to wrestle his predatory urge  
to kill...  
  
Nothing came.  
  
No urge to kill assailed him.  
  
Nothing.  
  
His eyes hardened as he heard her pounding heart, her lungs working  
furiously, dragging air into her body. Her eyes were wide, almost fearful.  
He frowned. Had he done something to frighten her? Had he for a moment   
turned into a panther? Grown long canines? Claws?  
  
His mind tried to understand. Tried to believe....  
  
This woman was his true mate. But how could that be? It was impossible!  
A human woman could not possibly be his true mate and yet, her presence  
brought none of the usual instinctive urges to hunt, to kill. He sought  
deep within himself, trying to find any dark madness that whispered to kill  
and maul. There was none. She didn't call to the demon within as the other   
human woman had done. With this woman, the beast was tamed....  
  
Suddenly, a prickle went up his spine. Images, emotions and thoughts  
assailed him.  
  
Fear hit him. It wasn't because she was afraid of him...no. She was afraid  
because of what she thought he had seen...  
  
Her thoughts were a mass of jumbled words. The images that assailed him  
made things clearer. Even if he had not grabbed her, she would not have  
fallen back in. In her mind, he saw her slip on the rock...saw her sudden  
agility that no human should have possessed. Watched as she landed on the   
tips of her toes on solid ground a moment before he caught her.  
  
His grip tightened on her arms. His gaze was accusing.  
  
"You would not have fallen in." a statement, not a question.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien watched her face. Her eyes grew even wider than he would have   
thought possible. With a sudden burst of strength that surprised him, the  
woman shoved him backwards.  
  
He frowned and growled at her sudden attack. He had been caught off guard,  
not expecting her strength. With an inhuman speed, he watched as she   
snatched her clothes and disappeared into the trees.  
  
She was fast disappearing into the night to his great surprise.  
  
"Darien? What th-?" came Raye's voice. He knew she had seen the woman. Her  
unnatural speed for a human.  
  
He wasn't about to let her get away, human or not. His possessive instinct  
snarled at her escape. Whether she was human or not at this point didn't  
matter. She was his true mate. She was his. His mouth curled in anticipation  
of the hunt. The woman was fast; he'd give her that. But not as fast as a   
Panthera.  
  
"Darien!?" called Lita as he shape-shifted to his feline form. Powerful  
hind legs getting ready to spring, his predatory instincts wanting to  
pursue. To catch. Every fiber of his being shrieking at him to seize and  
mark her. Claim her as his own.  
  
Jadeite ran in front of his path, blocking him. "Darien, you can't!   
You'll turn into a man-eater if you hunt her!"  
  
"Oh god, please Darien!" cried his sister as she clutched a crying Celeste  
to her.  
  
They didn't understand...his true mate was getting away. His mate. His  
female. The one being that stood between his destruction and salvation.  
She was fleeing and he didn't have time to explain or time to be courteous.  
  
His muzzle snarling, eyes blazing...he leapt, straight at Jadeite.  
  
Jadeite in his human form, was no match for the full two hundred pounds of   
muscle and fury flying at him. The large cat knocked him onto his back,  
landing squarely on his chest. The air left his lungs as his back connected  
with the ground.  
  
Intelligent eyes blazed at him. Jadeite remained still, careful not to  
provoke the large killing machine sitting squarely above him, tail twitching  
angrily.  
  
The panther snarled, exposing large powerful teeth. Darien struggled to  
sort out his awareness, everything in him angry at Jadeite's interference.  
Instinct calling out to him to kill the man who had gotten between him and  
his mate.  
  
His mate!  
  
The cat snarled deeming his escaping mate more important than the   
interfering man lying motionlessly, submissively on the ground. With a final  
growl and a hiss, the panther sprang away, running with amazing fluid speed  
in the wake of the escaping woman.  
  
Jadeite accepted Lita's hand and got off the ground. His frown deepened as  
he stared off into the direction Darien had gone. He had to go after him.  
If Darien did one wrong thing tonight...it was possible he would go right  
over the edge and be lost to them forever.  
  
"Raye, I have to go after him." murmured Jadeite solemnly.  
  
His mate nodded. "I-"  
  
"No. Celeste needs you. You need to tell the others of what has happened.  
I may need their help to restrain Darien."  
  
"I will go with you." volunteered Lita. "Nephlyte already knows of what  
has happened and he has gone to gather the others. Come, we must go now.  
Raye will go back to the mansion with Celeste," said Lita.  
  
"God..." choked Raye. "Jade, Lita...bring him home. Please."  
  
They nodded.  
  
Raye watched as her mate and her cousin changed, becoming panthers.  
Powerful legs carried them quickly out of sight towards the direction Darien  
had gone. Their speed matching that of the wind.  
  
Raye lifted her head, clutching her child close. Let him be safe...  
prayed Raye to herself.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Feet pounded in the earth. He rejoiced in the body of the panther. His  
mind and senses soaring free. The world had become beautiful again.   
Mysterious and alluring. His mind focused on the swift-footed silver-blonde.  
  
A true mate. A soulmate to give him new life. He had existed for over a  
thousand years and never had he imagined finding or having a true mate.  
Had never thought that he would be so blessed, for there had been many   
nights when he'd wandered the forest, his lonely cry echoing through the   
trees. Hatred for being tormented and alone, festering deep within his soul,   
staining it black like the night.  
  
His ears caught the sound of feet in front of him. She was fast for a  
human, yes. But he was a powerful Panthera male. The oldest. The strongest.  
There was no way she would be able to escape him.  
  
For the first time in his life since the moment he had been old enough to  
understand the meaning of a true mate, he dreamt of a family. Dreamt of  
passion and love...of someone to keep the darkness and loneliness at bay.  
  
His powerful vision spotted her. She was dressed now, rushing to collect  
her belongings. To run.  
  
He padded quickly and silently towards her, giving her no opportunity to  
bolt. She belonged with him and he would never let her go.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
To be continued...  
  
Q&A+AN:  
  
1. To the reviewer who asked if this was based of a book. Technically,   
this isn't based off a book but most of my ideas do come from things I   
have read.   
  
2. To the reviewer sara beth, the idea for big black cats did come from   
'After Twilight'. *note the title* :P But, I don't know about 'Fantasy'.  
I haven't read that one. The bookstore isn't currently stocking. :\  
  
3. And to the reviewer who called him/herself 'reviewer', glad you   
recognize that bit from the 'After Twilight' poem, "Masquerade". But   
hey, I only got that line off, I didn't follow fully. The rest was   
REALLY written by me.  
  
4. To Erin Finnlaith, yes! I've read Christine Feehan's books. But only  
limited to her 'Dark Series'. I haven't found the time to go get her  
'Scarletti Curse' yet. *note my fic 'Dark Angel'*   
  
Your questions answered? Good. Thanks for all the comments. :))  
  
Tell me what you thought of this chapter. I know it's shorter than the ones  
I wrote for 'Dark Angel', but I couldn't think of much to write in regards  
to this chapter's title. I'm already planning on the next chapter though.   
:)) Betcha can't guess! :)  
  
note: *Twilight can also mean period of decline or destruction*  
Praedari means Predator or 'plunder'  
  
20/01/03  
Edited: 20/01/03 


	3. Revelations

Title: Twilight  
Author: Tapestry  
Email: Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com  
Rating: R  
Standard Disclaimer Apply  
*...* denotes mind speaking  
28/01/03  
"Woman was created from the ribs of man  
Not from his head to top him  
Nor from his feet to be walked upon  
She was made from his side to be his equal  
From beneath his arms to be protected  
From very near his heart to be loved."  
--Anonymous--  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~ Chapter 2: Revelations ~  
She was running. Her feet barely touched the ground before it was off the  
earth once again. Running. She felt as if she were flying with the wind,  
free of all constraints.  
  
Of course, at these times, her long hair was usually an encumbrance. She  
had intended to cut it. But she loved her hair. Her long silver blonde hair  
that shone in the moonlight like platinum.  
  
She'd been wrong to come to this forest. Here she was being hunted again.  
How was it her instincts had failed her this time? She had felt safe here  
except those few times when she'd felt eyes boring into the back of her   
head. She had always trusted her instincts. They had kept her safe.  
  
But this time, they were wrong. She'd felt drawn to this place for some  
reason. Had felt a kinship with the land that she'd never felt before. She  
had left the bustling city to find peace.   
  
She's been in the city for five years. Spent those years hiding, moving  
from home to home. She hadn't felt safe in the city and yet, for some  
unfathomable reason, had been unable to leave unlike the other places she  
had left. Perhaps because the city had been her birthplace. She never knew.  
  
And now, she was racing through the forest, her feet, bare as she made her  
way towards her camp. She needed to gather her things and leave before the  
man caught up with her.  
  
That was the one good thing about her abnormality. She was fast. She had  
been faster than any other child. She had also been stronger, smarter and   
her senses more acute than any other being she had encountered. She also  
had a strange uncanny ability to tell what others were feeling. She was  
already twenty-seven years old but her features had stopped aging the   
moment she'd hit twenty-one.  
  
Not a single wrinkle or gray hair. She'd been the envy of girls   
everywhere. She had stood out among the crowd, attracting attention from   
all eyes. She was different. And she was hunted.  
  
She remembered her childhood well. She'd been happy in the city with her  
beautiful mother and her handsome father that came very often to see them.  
She could still remember their faces with amazing clarity. Her mother had  
said it was a gift she had inherited from her father. Her mother had been  
beautiful with a kind loving face. A wealth of platinum blonde hair   
tumbling over her shoulders with sapphire eyes. Her father had been stunning  
with dark hair and moss green eyes.  
  
Then her mother had been murdered. She'd witnessed her father's insane   
rage with death of her mother. She'd been twelve then. She could still see  
the anger on his face, the despair. He had looked at her with such pain in  
his eyes that she had cried.  
  
He had disappeared promptly after that...along with her mother's murderer.  
The body was never found.  
  
She never saw him again. The social services people placed her in a foster  
family. They left the city a year later, moving to the south. She remembered  
the spiteful taunts of girls.  
  
Freak.  
  
Witch.  
  
Demoness.  
  
Weirdo.  
  
Then she'd turned fifteen and her foster father's best friend had tried to  
rape her. He'd underestimated her strength. She had beaten him off and left  
him unconscious. She had left her foster home, but not before calling the  
police and reporting the man.  
  
She never knew if the man had been convicted or not. Probably not. She had  
headed north, unknowingly back towards the place of her birth. She had   
traveled with circuses and carnivals. That was when she discovered her  
ability to communicate with cats. She had almost felt a part of them,   
somehow.  
  
She laughed to herself as she rushed about packing her things, dumping  
items into her knapsack in a hurry. With her abilities, she could have been  
a thief, a police officer or perhaps, even a lion tamer. But she couldn't  
forget she was different. And right now, she had to leave this beautiful  
place because a starkly beautiful man in a handsome way had seen her   
weirdness. Her inhuman abilities.  
  
She shouldn't have run. Now the man was suspicious. She didn't know why  
she had run. The man had called to her in some elemental way, had   
frightened her. In all her life, she had only run from one thing. This made  
it the second thing. Was she turning into a coward?  
  
She shook her head. Serena Ferale was no coward. She wasn't going to start  
being one. But she was still leaving these woods. She really didn't want  
to go round two with him.  
Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped about her waist, lifting her off the  
ground. She gasped and struggled, trying to get free. Those powerful arms  
merely tightened, stilling all movement. She wriggled to no avail.  
  
"If you do not want to face the consequences, you will cease your infernal  
wriggling." came a soft voice, whispered in her ear. She shivered, a sudden  
chill mixed with fear and excitement shooting down her spine.  
  
"Wh-what? How did you get here so fast?" she gasped out breathlessly. The  
man was making it a little difficult for her to breathe. Especially since  
he was plastered all along her back, something hard prodding at her   
derriere. She had a faint inkling of what it was before dismissing it as  
ludicrous.  
  
He purred next to her ear seductively. "I'm a sprinter."  
  
Was the man's voice for real? Could anybody's voice be that sexy and   
sinful? If possible, it should have been outlawed. Her face was flushed with  
colour. Her body was reacting to the man, embarrassingly. She didn't even  
know him!  
  
"Ah, but you know me..."  
  
She turned to look up at his face. He had a smile that made her feel  
hunted. A predatory aura surrounded him, making her feel very small and  
fragile. Like prey. Only one person had ever made her feel like prey, but  
this man....  
  
This man amplified the feeling over a hundred times.  
  
Her eyes narrowed suddenly. She hadn't said anything aloud a moment ago.  
How was it, he had answered her unspoken question. Focusing on her empathic  
ability, she tried to pick out any emotions he was feeling. Maybe she should  
have practiced the talent more....  
  
Right now, the only thing she picked out from him made her face bloom the  
colour of a red rose.  
He chuckled as he watched the girl's face that suddenly turned bright red.  
He had felt her untrained mind reach out to read his emotions. He had, on  
purpose, amplified his feelings of lust and desire. Inside, he studied this  
strange girl-child. She was older than she looked, that he had sensed.  
  
His body had reacted embarrassingly like a youth to her wriggles. As if   
he were a mere cub, feeling emotions of lust and desire for the first time.  
Experiencing sexual attraction for the first time. His soul roared with   
joy and possessiveness.   
  
On the run, he had inhaled her scent, watched her flurried movements. He  
was not wrong. This was the one...his true mate. Something had shifted  
within him, within his very soul. A possessiveness and a feeling of jealousy  
had consumed him at the thought of her escape.  
  
In retaliation, he nipped at her ear, then lapping it with his tongue.  
Her yelp of surprise made him feel smug. She wasn't going to be escaping  
him. He was Darien Praedari. No one could escape him, and she was his. He  
buried his nose in her hair and inhaled, taking her scent into his lungs.  
He would always know her...always be able to track her scent no matter where  
she went.  
  
It was part of a male Panthera's abilities. Where the Panthera male could  
not track any female or male outside his pride, the Panthera male would be  
always be able to track and find his true mate anywhere in the world once  
her scent tag was embedded into his memory.   
  
"You are mine." he whispered into her ear.  
Serena could not believe her ears. Had the arrogant man just said she  
belonged to him? She was no one's property, least of all some bossy   
good-looking male's.  
  
"Look, I don't know who the hell you are and what crazy idea you have in  
your head but-" she began her tirade, glaring up at him. He was looking at  
her but then, he lifted his head as if scenting something in the air. Like  
a predator.  
  
Her words froze in her mouth as her nose picked up something. Her ears  
pricked, trying to pick out the sound. Padded feet. Many feet. Animals.  
Wolves? Or perhaps cougars? Most probably wolves. Cougars were solitary  
animals.  
  
She heard the man give a little growl of warning. She could almost imagine  
him with fur, his hackles raised in threat and warning. Like a wolf...or  
maybe a cat. A big ferocious feral cat.  
  
The sounds got closer. The animals were running. Then, she heard them  
slow down until she could hardly hear them anymore. Her jaw nearly dropped  
as five large black cats emerged from the darkness.  
  
The man holding her snarled, tightening his grip and pushing her behind  
him. Everything within her cried out in denial as she tried to shield this  
beautiful man. She couldn't let those large cats eat him from dinner. After  
all, she was the one who spoke to cats. After all, a large Siberian tiger  
had bonded to her once.  
  
The man merely hissed at her in warning. A demand that she stay back. Her   
heart nearly stopped when she looked into his eyes. They almost seemed to  
glow eerily.  
  
Her lips thinned. Was she a cat or a mouse? She wasn't going to be cowed  
by this man. She wasn't going to let him be eaten even if he was being a  
jerk at the moment. Touching the minds of the panthers, she was startled to  
discover she could not speak to them. In fact...  
  
She was TOTALLY blocked from them!  
  
Okay, now she was scared. She really didn't want to get eaten by these   
great big black cats.  
  
"What are you all doing here?" snapped the man irritably.  
  
She frowned at him. Was he mad? Or were these his cats? Staring intently  
at the cats, she frowned. They were black all right, but not quite. Two had  
a brown sheen to their coats. Another had a slight silvery strawberry blonde  
sheen. Which was odd. The other two were definitely black.  
  
Turning her attention back to the man beside her, she felt sort of safe  
already. After all, it was a big plus in his favour if these cats didn't  
straight away all out pounce on them and feast.  
Darien sighed. This wasn't the way he had planned to initiate his true   
mate into the workings of his world. Unfortunately, the untimely arrival  
of his pride just wasn't something one was going to forget.  
  
"I suppose this is your doing, Jadeite, Lita."  
  
The two panthers merely tossed their head. The other three were warily  
eyeing his mate. Their noses twitching and ears pricked forward. They were  
waiting for one wrong move by her. One.  
  
He glared, his eyes gleaming like a panther's for a moment before they  
dimmed to their normal human look.  
  
"She is my true mate, there is no danger. Now, I tire of talking to you  
as cats. You all aren't so witty when I'm the one talking." he said   
mockingly.  
  
That got a rise out of the males. They were quickly growing in stature,  
shifting into that of their human form.  
  
He smiled in amusement as his true mate gave a startled sound, her hand  
catching hold of his sleeve. He tightened his arms in reassurance.  
  
"Oh, you are so funny, ancient one." jibed Malachyte.   
  
They had long hoped for this day. Had hoped Darien would find his true  
mate as they had. They all had known he was growing weary and tired of the  
responsibilities thrust upon his shoulders. Knew he was growing restless  
with the world.  
  
Malachyte could not be anything but happy for his friend. And yet...the   
woman puzzled him. Jadeite had said the girl was human. How was it she was   
Darien's true mate? Never in their history had a human become a true mate   
to a Panthera. Also, there was something not quite kosher about her scent.  
  
His eyes fixed on her, trying to puzzle out this enigma who had Darien  
plastered to her side.  
Serena shivered, unknowingly moving closer to the man's side. His arms  
squeezed her shoulders in comfort. Maybe she really needed to go see a   
shrink. She was probably losing her mind. There were no such things as   
humans turning into....well, really really big cats. She was truly going  
psycho after all these years.  
  
She wanted to jump out of her skin and run screaming. The men were giving  
her the heebie-jeebies. It was as if their eyes locked on her face were  
trying to see into her soul, trying to determine her worth. An attempt to  
look past her façade and see all the things she had ever done wrong. They  
made her feel small.  
  
And dammit, she didn't like that!  
  
"Who the hell are you people? No, scratch that! WHAT the heck are you  
people!?" she exclaimed.  
  
"We are Panthera, little one...and you," smiled Darien, "-are mine."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien could hardly keep his grin from showing at the mutinous expression  
pasted on her face. Anger and violence were rolling off her in waves,  
assaulting his psychic senses.  
  
"You keep saying that, and so I'll just have to keep repeating it." hissed  
the blonde.  
  
The little kitten was using her claws.  
  
"I," she began struggling out of his grasp, "-am NOT YOURS! Get that into  
your remarkably thick skull why don't you? And get your hands off me,   
lecher!" she snarled, one of her hands curling into fists to aim a solid   
swipe at his face.  
  
Thank God for Panthera reflexes.  
  
He dodged the blow easily, her knuckle missing his cheek by a hairs-  
breadth.  
  
Catching her wrist, he scowled at her. She met his gaze head on, with an  
evil glare of her own. By the stars, the little cat was feisty. A smile  
curled his lips. He liked that.  
  
His eyes lifted, gleaming at his pride. Sending them a clear warning to   
back off. He did not miss their posture, ready to attack if the impertinent  
little witch struck him.  
  
"Are you finished, pig?"  
  
He returned his gaze on her face, staring hard at her until a bloom of   
colour rose to her cheeks. Still she met his gaze. He admired her defiance  
and spunk. She was a fitting mate. Nature could have chosen no better.  
  
"Not really. Come now, little cat..." he grinned his devil's smile at  
her as he lifted her hand to his lips. His tongue came out to lap a wet  
caress over the smooth milky skin. Her eyes watched his actions as if in a  
trance. He smiled when he felt the little shiver run down her spine.  
  
A howl broke the tranquility of the woods.  
  
His mate started from her trance-like state and looked about the woods,  
trying to pinpoint the howl.  
  
"I suggest we leave, Darien. The wolves are restless with so many of us  
together." murmured Malachyte.  
  
He nodded, capturing the woman's hand more carefully. That action quelled  
any further attempts to retrieve her hand from his grasp.  
  
"Come, my little cat. I offer my home as sanctuary from the night."  
  
She sent him a wry look.  
  
"Sanctuary? With you people no doubt prowling about? I'd be safer with   
the wolves." she smirked.  
Jadeite laughed. Their mask and appearance of civility did not fool this  
outrageous woman. Darien glared at his brother-in-law.  
  
"This one who is meant for you has a mean tongue, brother. She is not  
taken in by your handsome face." grinned Jadeite.  
  
"And I wonder how you tricked my sister into the false sense that she  
had more authority than she really does?"  
  
Nephlyte sighed. "IF we may continue this back home? There's a piece of  
buffalo rib calling to me in the oven." he voiced loudly, picking up the  
knapsack on the ground and slinging it over his shoulder as if it weighed  
nary a pound.  
  
"Hey! Wait one darn-" exclaimed Serena.  
  
"Hush, little one. They will see to your belongings. We shall go ahead to  
my home."  
  
"Like hell! I didn't agree to go anywhere with you!"  
  
"Your impudence is beginning to annoy me. What you need is a good   
spanking as a lesson in manners."  
  
"YOU spank ME?! MANNERS!?? Why, I'll show YOU manners you arrogant, no  
good, mangy, ill-mannered lout!" she hissed, her ire sparking once again.  
She swung her fist again, this time lashing out with her feet as well.  
  
He ducked and dodged her attempts to do his bodily injury.  
  
"Mangy? In what way am I mangy?"  
  
"You're infuriating you blasted cur!"  
Lita and the men watched in amusement and surprise. "My, she's got a  
temper on her."  
  
"Oh aye, I'll enjoy seeing Darien try to master her." snickered Zoycite.  
  
"Ah, she's a spitfire this one. They'll always butt heads with no victor."  
grinned Nephlyte, rubbing his hands gleefully.  
  
"Who wants to bet?"  
He held the little furious woman tightly to him, her hands bound as he  
walked towards his home.  
  
Her eyes blazed sapphire with fury at him. He knew if he hadn't gagged  
her, she would probably be spitting insults and curses at him.  
  
"It's your fault you know, you could have come quietly along."  
  
He picked up an image of her knocking him flat on his back.  
  
"Violence, my little cat...you have a penchance for violence." he chuckled  
to himself. He kissed her cheek and forehead in affection.  
  
He felt her relax slightly, becoming silent and subdue. He picked up her  
sulkiness at the situation. Her sullen mood made him grin.  
  
Oh yes, she was a perfect mate. All the attributes he wanted passed on to  
his children.  
  
Well, maybe not her evil tongue and temper. But he did want his children  
to have most of her feisty characteristics.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He entered his home and made a beeline for the sitting room. He settled  
her down lovingly onto the couch, removing her gag.  
  
Silence.  
  
Looking at her face, he saw a child-like joy and sense of awe spreading  
across her face. He watched her eyes roam the room, flitting at every piece  
of artwork, sculpture and furniture.  
  
He smiled as he began untying her legs and hands.  
  
Her expression reminded him of the joys of a true mate. He could teach   
her and experience the feeling of wonder through her once more. He had had  
all his artwork for decades.  
  
The joy and wonder had long since faded. But now, he saw new delights  
to share with a mate. To display his collection with pride and watch the  
light shining in her eyes.  
  
After the last rope was unraveled from her feet, she got up and walked  
towards a wall filled with paintings. She reached up a curious hand before  
dropping it and looking over her shoulder at him guiltily.  
  
His heard skipped a beat. She looked like a child then. Looked as if she  
had done something wrong. He wanted to hug her and tell her it was all   
right. He wondered if she had experienced nothing but censure.  
  
"Go ahead. Touch it, little one. It's alright."  
  
She turned back and stared at the painting. Her fingers running reverently  
over the picture like a caress.  
  
His skin tingled as if he was the one being touched.  
  
Unable to bear the torment any longer, he walked towards her and wrapped  
his arms about her waist, pulling her into the cradle of his hard muscled  
body.  
  
Her hand stilled and a fine tremor went through her.  
  
"Touch the painting, little one. Let your fingers see for you." he   
whispered seductively into her ear. He felt the heat in her face. Her scent  
wreathed his senses, drowning him in euphoria.  
  
He could wallow in her scent all day. He WOULD wallow in her scent. For  
all time as was his right.  
  
His tongue lapped her ear, much as he had done earlier tonight. She  
trembled again. He placed a teasing kiss on her neck, his hands rubbing  
slowly on her tummy in a hypnotic rhythm.  
  
Heat and desire flared. At once, he was kissing her. Ravaging her mouth.  
He wanted to sink into her. Taste her lips forever. A growl erupted from  
his throat as he crushed her to him. She whimpered.  
  
A cough froze them.  
  
Darien lifted his head, his eyes blazing. He was going to rip whoever's  
throat out...  
  
His sister and niece stood at the entry of the sitting room. His pride  
appeared behind her minutes later.  
  
"I can see you're enjoying yourself Darien, but I believe introductions  
first before wild sex." coughed Raye trying not to grin.  
  
The woman in his arms stiffened and tried to push him away. He snarled  
a warning and she hesitated before she relented.  
  
"If you were not my sister, Raye..."  
  
"I know. I'd have had my throat torn out and the carpet would have to be  
changed." finished Raye.  
  
He glared.  
  
"Introductions, Darien." reminded Lita.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She felt like sinking into the floor. She couldn't believe she had done  
that. She could still feel his lips on her, his tongue and taste within her  
mouth. Okay, she was getting mushy.  
  
She never got mushy! For God's sake, she sounded like some weepy heroine  
in a romance novel!  
  
Whatever had flared between the dark-haired man and her had been wild and  
uncontrollable. Like a blazing fire eating both of them. She could feel the  
tension in his large body as he led her to the couch.  
  
What she needed right now was a cold shower.  
  
She didn't need a man. She had no time for men. She couldn't afford a  
relationship.  
  
Turning her attention back to the group who stared expectantly at the man  
they referred to as Darien, they waited for the introductions.  
  
She had never told them her name. How was he supposed to introduce her?  
She wanted to smile at his predicament. She tamped it down, not wanting  
his to know she was laughing at him.  
  
His face swung towards hers in a scowl. Almost as if he had caught her  
amusement at his plight. But that was impossible....right?  
  
Not wanting to dwell on it further, she glanced at the men and two women  
in the room.  
  
"What are your names?" she demanded.  
  
Not really expecting them to answer, she sat there.  
  
Darien smiled.  
  
"This, little cat, is Malachyte Reiakos, Jadeite and Raye Daravinsky,   
their little daughter, Celeste Daravinsky, Zoycite Iciyalis and Nephlyte   
and Lita Tonerri."   
  
She nodded. They had odd names. Well, no more odd than hers.  
  
"And I, am Darien Praedari. Perhaps you've heard of me."  
  
"Not really, no." she lied.  
  
THIS was the elusive billionaire? She would never have thought Praedari  
to be young and handsome with a tone body that would even put Brad Pitt  
to shame. Anyone living within a 200-mile radius of the city had probably  
heard of Darien Praedari. Scratch that. Make that the whole country.  
  
"Really?" he purred.  
  
She wanted to run. She really did!  
  
"No matter, perhaps you would grace us with your name then, little cat?"  
  
She frowned. "Stop calling me little cat. Or I'll scratch you."  
  
Okay, not the most frightening and wisest threat to use. Besides, it  
wasn't as if she really could scratch that dratted handsome face. She  
couldn't scar such beauty.  
  
"We're waiting, little one."  
  
"My name is Serena. Serena Ferale."  
  
Immediately, the room froze and an oppressive silence went through the  
room, sending fear down her spine.  
  
She watched the sudden hardening in their faces. Had she said something  
wrong?  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien froze at the name Ferale.   
  
And then, relaxed. Perhaps there were other people in the world by the  
name Ferale. Odd that he had never encountered one in all his years.  
  
"Is something wrong?" came her voice.  
  
"No sweeting. Nothing at all." he smiled. She gave him a glare before  
turning her pert little nose up at him.  
  
"Is Ferale your real name?" asked Raye.  
  
"Yes. It was the name of my father. The name my mother gave me." nodded  
Serena, her eyes wary.  
  
"Your parents...what happened to them? What were they like?" he asked,   
his hand tangling in her silver blonde curls. Rubbing a strand between his   
thumb and index fingers.  
  
Serena shivered, feeling as if her hair were extra-sensitized. She batted  
the hand away. She didn't need any man. Least of all some macho mystery man.  
It was better for her to be alone. She didn't need to tell these people  
anything.  
  
The words slipped from her mouth despite her intention to stay silent.  
  
"My mother was beautiful...silvery hair. My father was the strongest most  
handsome man I had ever seen. Dark hair and jade eyes. I was twelve the  
last time I saw him. He didn't live with us, but he came to visit my   
mother and me often. One night, a robber broke in...I was hiding in the   
closet. My mother was killed that night." whispered Serena as the memories   
came, boiling out of her mind.  
  
"I stood there, looking at all the blood. Then my father rushed in. His  
eyes were haunted as they looked at me...filled with pain, rage and anguish.  
It made me cry. That was the last night I saw him. The killer was never  
found. The police only found a pool of the robber's blood smeared in a dark  
alley. Strips of shredded cloth. I was put with a foster home."   
  
"Were you born here?" he asked. Something nagged at his mind about her  
story. Something he should remember.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
A tear slipped, trickling down a cheek. Then, the flood came as the  
memories assaulted her. She cried, rocking herself back and forth. Strong  
arms enfolded her, turning her into a hard chest. She could only cry...she  
couldn't seem to stop the tears.  
  
She felt weak, defeated. She never cried. She didn't need anyone. But at  
the moment...it felt good to have someone. A someone who held her, cared  
for her. Loved her when everything in the world was wrong. She felt safe.  
Maybe if she closed her eyes, she'd be able to believe she was safe. Even  
if for a few short hours.  
It was an hour or so later when Darien finally put Serena to bed. Tucking  
the covers under her chin, he brushed her silvery bangs off her forehead,  
smiling tenderly. She was beautiful.  
  
Retreating to his study, he sat down in his large leather chair, brooding.  
He stared out into the moonlit night, and his thoughts began to wander.  
  
Ferale.  
  
He had not thought to hear that name for fifteen years. Closing his eyes,  
he could almost imagine how it was two hundred years ago. Coming to this   
new land with his pride and his best friend, Raphael Ferale.  
  
He remembered his laughing face, his sense of humour that never failed to  
make him laugh. Raphael had had dark black hair and green eyes. Was it a  
coincidence that Serena had described her father with the exact colouring?  
~ Two Hundred years ago... ~  
  
"Do not lose hope, Darien. One day...one day, you will find your   
salvation, I am sure of it." smiled Raphael, thumping his friend on his   
back.  
  
A younger, still brooding Darien frowned at his friend.  
  
"I do not understand your enthusiasm. How can you be so sure I will not  
turn man-eater? There are so few of our women left on this earth. It would  
be a miracle if one of them became my mate." muttered Darien.  
  
"Have faith Darien. I do not know how I know, but I can feel it..."  
  
"Pray hope you are right, old friend. Our children will perhaps be   
friends, eh?" smiled Darien grudgingly,  
  
~ Thirty years ago...~  
  
"I do not understand Raphael these days, sister..." snarled Darien as he  
paced his study.  
"He's just going through a phase."  
  
"What phase can he be going through?! He's as old as I am!" I mean, he   
goes off and comes back happy as a lark. After a day or so, he begins to   
mope, and finally he leaves again. Sometimes for extended periods of time!  
He doesn't tell anybody where he goes either. And the stench on him when he  
comes back from the city!! Humans!" spat Darien disgusted.  
  
Raye winced at the word. Her brother was beginning to scare her sometimes.  
She knew the killing urge was pushing him hard these last months. It was  
why he was so irritable at the scent of a human. She hoped he would soon  
be able to control it, otherwise...  
  
"Blasted humans. They are just liable to drive me mad!" snarled Darien.  
  
~ Fifteen years ago...~  
  
Darien had tracked Raphael to the city. His friend had charged off a few  
days ago in an insane frenzy. The news had reported a murder of a woman in  
a small home. The murderer was not yet found. The only trace was a gruesome  
bloody scene in an alleyway.  
  
The report had reminded Darien of killings made by man-eaters. Scenting  
the air, he found the elusive trail.  
  
A scream rent the air.  
  
He ran, reaching a dark street. A woman was on the ground, backing slowly  
away from a large black panther snarling, saliva dripping from its mouth.  
Agony filled his being at the implication....  
  
Raphael was a man-eater.  
Darien's eyes snapped open. The murder...Raphael becoming a man-eater. He  
had killed his friend that night. One couldn't leave a man-eater alive.  
But could Serena be related to Raphael?  
  
But how was it possible?  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Morning came and Serena was shaken from sleep. Blinking her eyes against  
the light, she looked up at Darien's dark face staring down at her.  
  
"Serena, what was the name of your father?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your FATHER! The NAME of your FATHER!" exclaimed Darien impatiently.  
  
She cringed at his voice. She knew it was too good to be true. A man   
couldn't be rich, good-looking and kind. He had to have a mean streak or a  
failing somewhere. No man was perfect.  
  
And no man who had ever been in her life had been perfect. Not her father,  
not...  
  
"Serena!"  
  
"Don't shout, you jerk!" hissed Serena. "How dare you drag me to your  
home, damn near molest me every time and how dare you shout at me like I'm  
your damn-"  
  
"Molest?" snarled Darien.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Dammit, I don't want to argue, Serena. The name. NOW!"  
Throwing the covers off her body, she stormed towards the doors   
bare-footed. Before she could open them wide, a strong hand slammed them   
shut, trapping her against the door.  
  
"Where do you think, you're going?"  
  
"Away from here!"  
  
"No." he snarled menacingly.  
  
She heard a grating sound that sounded suspiciously like something digging  
into wood. Dismissing the sound, she glared at the handsome dark-haired   
creep with the pretty buns.  
  
Had she really thought THAT?!  
  
Darien breathed out and closed his eyes as if trying to calm himself.  
  
"Serena, you are not leaving here. Now, please...I apologize for my  
behaviour, but I've been up all-night and cranky as an ass. Now, will  
please tell me the name of your father?"  
  
"All night? What were you doing?" gaped Serena, examining his face. Now  
that she was looking, he did look a little tired.  
  
"Serena-"  
  
"Alright, alright!"  
  
A brow lifted, waiting.  
  
"My father's name was...."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
To be continued...  
  
Finally got around to switching on the computer and finishing this chapter.  
Sorry for the late update. I've been distracted. And will probably be for  
the next month or so. :p So you can look forward to long spells of slow  
updates. (Sorry!) But I'll try to write when I can. Hope you liked this  
chapter. I was going to name this chapter something else but decided to use  
the title for Chapter 3. Anyway, review and tell me what you think. Thanks!  
  
21/02/03  
Edited: 21/02/03 


	4. The HalfBreed

Title: Twilight  
  
Author: Tapestry  
  
Email: Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com  
  
Rating: R  
  
Standard Disclaimer Apply  
  
*...* denotes mind speaking  
  
31/05/03  
  
"Woman was created from the ribs of man  
  
Not from his head to top him  
  
Nor from his feet to be walked upon  
  
She was made from his side to be his equal  
  
From beneath his arms to be protected  
  
From very near his heart to be loved."  
  
--Anonymous--  
  
AN: Look, I'm really sorry for not continuing the story sooner. Yes, I'm  
  
NOT dead. But I do have something called REAL LIFE. Not to sound snappy  
  
or anything, but I did mention to everybody my usual PC is down and no   
  
internet connection on it now either. Plus to top it off, I've started   
  
college and am being swamped in assignments. So please, try to   
  
understand. I'm already taking time off to write this chapter.  
  
6/8/03 - Wow! 3 months since I started this. Sorry. I've got a break now,  
  
so, to thank you guys for being so patient with me, I'll try to  
  
make this extra long, without a cliffie. (^^)  
  
25/11/03 - Okay, I'm a big fat idiotic liar....I just couldn't think of   
  
anything to write. But I'm making progress now. Honest!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~ Chapter 3: The Half-Breed ~  
  
  
  
Serena stared up into burning eyes. She was trapped against the door.  
  
Dear Lord, he was so beautiful, even in anger. But now wasn't the time to  
  
be lusting after a pretty boy.  
  
Even if he was a damn lot stronger than she.  
  
"My father's name was..."  
  
A loud banging on the door broke the tense atmosphere. She could have  
  
sworn she'd heard him groan.   
  
"DARIEN!!" shouted a voice. Banging on the door grew louder. Though  
  
Serena was sure the man on the other side of door could probably break the  
  
solid oak french doors into matchsticks, nothing like that happened.  
  
Releasing her from the cage of his arms, he stepped away and answered the  
  
voice through the door.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"The news just reported a murder."  
  
Darien threw the doors open, coming face to face with Nephlyte. His  
  
face dark.  
  
"An animal killing?"  
  
"Yes. A camper was found mauled to death. Not far from the city. The  
  
killer points to a large cat."  
  
"Dammit. Do you know if it was one of ours or was it a real cat?"  
  
"It's uncertain. Malachyte is already checking into it, asking if any of  
  
our brethren are missing." answered Nephlyte.  
  
Serena listened to the conversation in interest, though confused by  
  
what was happening. A person had been killed by animals. What was so  
  
troublesome about that?  
  
"We will leave immediately. Tell Malachyte to come as soon as possible  
  
once he had found all relevant information." muttered Darien. "We do not  
  
need any animal hunts or killings."  
  
Serena tried to sneak past the two engrossed men. She didn't need all  
  
the testosterone floating about the mansion. The men of the mansion held  
  
a dark aura about them that she couldn't understand.  
  
"And where do you think you are going?"  
  
Serena pivoted on her foot to face an angry Darien. "Away." she hissed in  
  
defiance.  
  
Burning blue eyes locked with her own. For a few moments, she could have  
  
sworn Darien's eyes had gleamed like a predator's reflective eyes. The  
  
air between them thickened in warning.  
  
"Nephlyte, leave us." he snarled.  
  
No sooner was the brunette out of the room than Darien slammed his hands  
  
once again on either side of her head. Both glared at each other, locked  
  
in a heated battle of wills.  
  
"Hear me and hear me well, Serena..." hissed Darien. "You will remain  
  
in this mansion and be here when I get back. You will NOT leave here. For  
  
if you do, there won't be anywhere in the world that you can hide. And  
  
believe me, I will drag you back here."  
  
"Go to hell, bastard." snapped Serena as her hand flew out and slapped  
  
him across the face.  
  
Who did this arrogant man think he was? Human or not, Panthera or not,  
  
no one told her what to do. No one threathened her.  
  
  
  
Darien turned to look at the spitting cat in front of him and gave a  
  
predatory smile that usually cowed men stronger than her. Oh yes, he would  
  
enjoy taming the little wildcat.  
  
"You'll be here, Serena....because, we aren't finished." said Darien  
  
darkly before exiting room and leaving her to glare at his back in fury.  
  
Darien joined Nephlyte who was waiting for him at the foot of the huge  
  
staircase, wearing an idiotic grin on his face.  
  
"Slapped you didn't she." grinned Nephlyte.  
  
"She's a wildcat, that one." chuckled Zoycite.  
  
He turned to look back up the staircase, imagining her furious face.  
  
She was a wildcat. One that was his. He liked her spirit and that probably  
  
wouldn't be the last time he would be feeling the lady's claws.  
  
Yes...life would be eventful. He wanted to thank the heavens that she  
  
had been sent into his care. Even if she was stubborn and a handful. It  
  
wouldn't be difficult to love her...  
  
His face fell back into its solemn mask.  
  
"Lets go. Has Malachyte contacted either of you yet?" questioned Darien  
  
as the exited the mansion.  
  
"Yes. He says Simon Ranul is missing. So Malachyte has gone to track him  
  
down to make sure of his whereabouts."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena leaned back into the hard wood a moment, trying to catch her  
  
breath and calm her jumbled thoughts. She had lost her cool and slapped  
  
the arrogant man on the face.  
  
"He deserved it, ass."  
  
Closing her eyes, she inhaled, her heart and lungs slowing to a normal  
  
rhythm. Why wasn't she making a run for it? Maybe she was going insane.  
  
Maybe she WAS insane. There was no other explanation.  
  
How else did one describe the odd things she had imagined only...how long  
  
ago had it been?  
  
Pushing away from the wall, Serena's eyes focused on the door, the marks  
  
drawing her eyes. His fingers had gouged pieces wood out from the door.  
  
The marks looked as if they had been done by a large feral animal.  
  
Brushing back her bangs, Serena strode out of the room. she wasn't  
  
staying because he had imperiously ordered her to. She was staying because   
  
it was late and she wasn't going to find any comfortable bed out in  
  
the boondocks.  
  
Heading towards the room that the dumb male had designated as hers, she  
  
made a beeline for the bathroom.  
  
Yes, she was going to soak in the tub and waste an extravagant amount  
  
of water and spend all the bath salts and lotions in the bathroom.  
  
That would show him. He'd probably throw her out himself. She smiled  
  
to herself. Right, she'd send him to the poor house.  
  
A soft chuckle vibrated in her mind, sending an arrow of fire down  
  
her spine.  
  
*You won't get rid of me so easily, dear one. I am never going to  
  
send you packing myself. So you can give up on that notion. And  
  
incidently, I'm a very very wealthy man, so it's going to be a challenge  
  
for you to put me in the poor house.*  
  
*Shut up, you're just a figment of my imagination.* she hissed  
  
bristling at his humour.  
  
What was it about her that attracted all this attention? Especially  
  
attention of weirdoes. Serena gave a sigh of comfort as she stepped  
  
into the warm sweet smelling water of the bath. The warm water loosening  
  
the tense muscles in her back.  
  
*I am not a weirdo.*  
  
*Go away. Were you not hunting something?*  
  
She could almost see him nod his head. Which was slightly disconcerting.  
  
Not yet even a week and the man was burrowing himself into her life.  
  
*You will be at home when I return, Serena. I will be very angry with  
  
you if you do the exact opposite.*  
  
*I will be here. And before you gloat, it is only because it is very  
  
dark and I'm enjoying this bath.*  
  
A dark velvet throathy laugh invaded her mind, sending heat to the pit  
  
of her belly and making her toes curl.  
  
Dammit, why was it so much more difficult to resist the man when he  
  
was not directly in front of her? She dunked her head beneath the water,  
  
hoping to cool whatever insane notion that was fast overheating her brain.  
  
She really needed to put an end to her acquaintance with Darien Praedari.  
  
She wasn't certain her sanity would survive if she didn't. He was too  
  
exasperating.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien turned away from the thoughts that were flowing through Serena's  
  
head. He was a quiet shadow in her mind, soaking in the interesting things  
  
that passed through her head.  
  
She would never leave him. He would make sure of it.  
  
Turning back to his friend, Darien sniffed the air slightly. He had  
  
sent Zoycite and his brother-in-law to the site of the kill, but the   
  
spore of the large cat hung heavy and thick in the air where he and  
  
Nephlyte were investigating. The cat had definitely passed by and  
  
could probably still be in the nearby vicinity.  
  
*Darien, Simon has been accounted for. The cat is not one of ours.*  
  
came Malachyte's voice.  
  
*How very odd...*  
  
*Darien?*  
  
*Nephlyte and I have come across an animal kill. And there have been   
  
no zoos that have lost a panther. There are no other places that the   
  
panther could have come from.*  
  
*Odd indeed, Darien.*  
  
"Nephlyte, can you sense the cat? Simon has been accounted. This cat is  
  
not ours. But I do not think it wise to let it roam, Panthera or not. I  
  
have a strange inkling, but I cannot pin it down."  
  
"I cannot. How strange... it is almost as if this cat is one of our kind.  
  
But, unusual...strange and unfamiliar." murmured Nephlyte absent-mindedly.  
  
"Have there been any other prides that have entered our domain?"  
  
"None, Darien...you know it is a rule that any prides within our vicinity  
  
make their presence known. You are the leader of our race after all."  
  
"The pride council should keep in touch more." snarled Darien agitatedly.  
  
He felt uneasy. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, that  
  
something was not as it should be. After all, he'd just found his mate,  
  
and this killing wasn't too far from his home. He didn't like this. A   
  
Panthera man-eater could travel far within one night....and this was the  
  
edge of the city.  
  
Instinct bade him monitor the thoughts of his mate, an instinct he  
  
would later come to thank.  
  
  
  
  
  
Serena paced the length of the room like a caged animal. The bath had  
  
done little to calm her besides easing the tension from her body. Her   
  
inner alarm was going haywire in her being, shrieking like a banshee in  
  
her head. But her senses told her there was no danger within the mansion.  
  
She was sure she'd wear a path in the carpet of the floor. That would  
  
make that arrogant male throw her out. Yes, she'd destroy as many of  
  
his things as she possibly could.  
  
But in the back of her mind, she knew that thought was ridiculous. There  
  
was no way, she'd be able to lift a finger to all the treasures and  
  
antiques in the mansion. She had a healthy respect for beautiful works of  
  
art.  
  
She was just feeling confused and jumpy by the conflicting signals her  
  
senses and instincts were sending.  
  
*What is wrong, little one?*  
  
Serena jumped in surprise, startled from her reverie. His voice was  
  
invading her head once again.  
  
*Nothing! Nothing that concerns you!*  
  
*You lie.*  
  
*Shut up.*  
  
*Tell me what is wrong.*  
  
It was an imperious order. The resolve and edge in his voice clear to be  
  
heard by all.....well, if there WERE any other people in her head besides  
  
him. She found herself sending him mental images of what she was feeling,  
  
something that came entirely unbidden to herself. She had not planned on  
  
telling the man anything. And yet, here she was doing the exact opposite!  
  
  
  
  
  
Darien experienced a bombardment of emotions and mental images from his  
  
link with Serena. He knew she was feeling confused at the conflicting  
  
signals being sent to her by her senses. Carefully, he examined the   
  
emotions and perceptions that were being percieved and slowly pieced the  
  
information together, suddenly... he understood.  
  
His body tensed and his senses flared out into the night, trying to  
  
detect the danger. The warning bells that were shrieking in Serena had   
  
less to do with her situation than it did his.  
  
Somehow, her subconciousness had picked out the danger he was in through  
  
the mind link he had kept going between them. Curious that she was able to  
  
sense the danger towards him when his own senses were, figuratively  
  
speaking, blind.  
  
"What is the matter, Darien?" asked Nephylte, his own senses reaching out  
  
to find the cause of sudden tension in Darien.  
  
"Serena senses danger in our immediate vicinity..."  
  
"Impossible, Darien. Your mate isn't even here. Plus, no human senses  
  
can be better than our Panthera ones. Humans have long evolved and   
  
forgotten the instincts and preternatural senses that were once programmed in   
  
all life." said Nephlyte arrogantly.  
  
"Serena is sensing the danger through my perceptions. And I KNOW no   
  
human senses can match any of ours. But you have to admit....Serena is no  
  
ordinary human." growled Darien. "This isn't getting us anywhere...."  
  
Immediately, his form began waver as the transformation from human to   
  
sleek predator took place. Finally, in the place of Darien, there stood  
  
a large black panther with gleaming blue eyes.  
  
The large cat sniffed the air experimentally, turning one way and then  
  
the next. Stopping suddenly, the cat's tail twitched before it let out a  
  
low deep snarl, teeth bared.  
  
Nephlyte's eyes took on a cat's glow as he turned his head, trying to  
  
catch scent of whatever it was that had the large Panthera male in such  
  
agitation.  
  
  
  
Suddenly, without warning, a sleek dark cat with shimmering topaz eyes  
  
leapt from the trees, teeth bared and snarling straight at Nephlyte and  
  
Darien.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena shot up in alarm. Her alarm system was shrieking into overtime.  
  
Had something gone wrong with Darien? All the while, he had mantained a  
  
psychic link with her and now, he had suddenly cut her off.  
  
She had never known such stifling tension before. It was like a pressure   
  
on her heart that made it difficult to breathe, even to think. Beads of  
  
sweat popped out on her skin, as she clutched a hand to her bosom.  
  
It felt like she was hyperventilating...  
  
"Serena?"  
  
Looking up from where she stood wobbily, one hand supporting herself on  
  
a table edge, she turned to the sound of the voice before collapsing on  
  
jelly legs.  
  
"Oh my God, Serena!"  
  
She couldn't focus on whose voice it was anymore, couldn't remember where  
  
she was....  
  
"Serena, do you hear me!?"  
  
"Serena!"  
  
Her vision blacked out, and she knew no more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The two large black cats fought ferociously, fangs bared and claws  
  
unsheathed. Each snarled at the other, circling.  
  
Nephlyte was out unconcious, his shoulder in a pool of blood. The unknown  
  
feline hissed in hatred. Hackles raised.  
  
Darien in his feline form, bared his teeth in warning, standing guard  
  
over his fallen friend. If this cat had no human sentience within, the  
  
smell of spilled blood would definitely trigger its instinct to hunt and  
  
devour.  
  
How could he let this unknown upstart beat him?  
  
He was the oldest of all Panthera that walked the earth. There were none   
  
of his kind that knew him not...and none would dare challenge him.  
  
He spotted the tell-tale sign of the panther getting ready to pounce.  
  
As the large cat flew through the air, another suddenly leapt from the   
  
bushes intercepting the rogue feline.  
  
Darien recognized him as Malachyte with his piecing gray eyes.  
  
*My thanks to you, my friend.*  
  
*No need, Darien.*  
  
The cat screamed in anger and dove at the new-comer, a paw coming   
  
straight at Malachyte's face.  
  
Malachyte managed to avoid the claws by a hairs-breadth.  
  
Darien delivered a hard swipe with his own claws, tearing flesh at the  
  
panther's side. A yowl of anger and pain accompanied the deep wound.  
  
Gushes of blood spilled down the panther's side as it tried unsteadily   
  
to get to its feet. A pang of sadness filled Darien's heart at the need   
  
to destroy such a beautiful creature. But he couldn't allow things like  
  
this to happen if his race was to survive. The secret of the Panthera's   
  
existence needed to be preserved.  
  
The cat collapsed to the ground in a heap, exhausted from the loss of  
  
blood. Its breathing became shallow and uneven.  
  
*Do we leave it here for humans to discover? That way they will know the  
  
cat responsible is caught.* suggested Malachyte.  
  
Before Darien could agree to the suggestion, the unconcious panther  
  
suddenly shimmered, its body shape wavering between cat and human.  
  
*What the-...* breathed Malachyte in surprise.  
  
  
  
Darien resumed his human form along with Malachyte. There was silence  
  
for the moment as both men could not believe their eyes.  
  
Without a word, Darien bent to check the unknown man's pulse. It was  
  
steady, but weak.  
  
"Nephlyte is fine. How is the man?" asked Malachyte.  
  
"He is alive."  
  
"We cannot leave him here, Darien. Humans will think he is merely another  
  
victim of the panther. A victim that survived." advised Malachyte as he  
  
lifted Nephlyte into his arms.  
  
"I know."  
  
Darien picked the unconscious man up easily.  
  
"What about the blood?"  
  
Darien stood quiet for a moment. Setting the man down at a nearby tree,  
  
he returned to the pool of blood. Lighting a match, Darien dropped it onto  
  
the dry grass and watched as the weeds caught flame, smoke rising from the  
  
ground.  
  
"What blood?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A breeze wafted over her face as she slowly awoke. Her vision was blurry  
  
and her mind was fuzzy. Where was she?  
  
"Serena?"  
  
She recognized that deep masculine voice.... who?  
  
"Serena, wake up. I'm not going to tell you again."  
  
Oh, she hated that tone of voice. She hadn't heard such a tone since her  
  
parents died. No one spoke in that tone to her.  
  
"That's it, you're waking up now." murmured the voice imperiously.  
  
A large hand suddenly...FELT HER UP! Her eyes snapped wide open, and  
  
instinct had her balling her hand into a fist and letting it fly at the  
  
unknown pervert.  
  
Her tiny fist connected with the intruder's jaw with a satisfying crack!  
  
"Take THAT, you insufferable sex-starving pervert! Asshole! Bastard!"  
  
screamed Serena in fury.  
  
"Nice, little cat....very nice. If I weren't a Panthera, I'm pretty  
  
sure my jaw would be broken right now." came a voice from the side of the   
  
bed.   
  
Recognizing the voice, Serena stared at the hateful man sitting on the  
  
carperted floor, nursing his jaw.  
  
"You deserved it..."  
  
"Heh, nice to know you have something in you besides all those delightful  
  
little curves." muttered Darien as he massaged his jaw.  
  
"I asked you nicely to wake up...you didn't. You only have yourself to  
  
blame, my darling."  
  
"I'm not your darling, and if you dare do that again, I'll do more than  
  
sock you in the jaw." hissed Serena threatheningly.  
  
A small curve appeared on his lips at her comment. She couldn't be sure  
  
if the exasperating man had truly smiled, or perhaps her eyes had been  
  
playing tricks on her. Either way, it sent an arrow of heat down her spine   
  
to the pit of her belly.  
  
  
  
"How are you feeling?" asked Darien as he slowly rose form the floor. She  
  
truly was a delight. Taming her would provide the rest of his life with  
  
plenty excitement. Guranteed.  
  
Yet, the dark thought about the unconcious man in the South Wing of his  
  
mansion disturbed him. The stranger had yet to awaken and it didn't seem  
  
he would any time soon.  
  
"After smacking that nauseous obnoxious face of yours? So much better.  
  
What happened to me?"  
  
"You passed out from the tension you were unconciously recieving from  
  
me. I don't want you ever trying to hold a link like that to me again.  
  
Especially when I cut you off." he growled imperiously.  
  
Serena glared at his bossy tone. "I don't take orders, Praedari. Not from  
  
you, not from ANYONE."  
  
She hated people ordering her about. She didn't need anyone taking over  
  
her life. She needed no one. It was true in the past, and it was true now,  
  
and it would be true in the future.  
  
A loud scream made her ears perk. Her eyes flew to meet Darien's. His  
  
eyes were smoldering and with a quiet oath, he spun on his heel and headed  
  
towards the door.  
  
Not one to be left behind, Serena pushed the covers off her body and   
  
padded on barefeet after the tall, dark imposing Panthera who was swiftly  
  
striding down the corridor towards the South Wing...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien knew Serena was following right behind him, but he couldn't be  
  
bothered with that right now. No matter how much he wanted his mate far  
  
away from the stranger they had brought back.  
  
The future, his life with his mate, depended on what he could learn from  
  
the man in his home. And by the sounds that came from the South Wing, it was  
  
prominently clear that he had woken up.  
  
  
  
Entering the room, he saw Malachyte trying to come the anxious man down.  
  
Serena followed shortly and saw a man she had not met before during her  
  
arrival, in a massively large bed, swathed in white bandages. She could  
  
clearly sense his fear, confusion and anxiety. The grim look on Darien  
  
Praedari's face unnerved her slightly.  
  
"Who are you? Why am I here? What have you done to me?" cried the man in  
  
confusion. He was agitated, backing himself into the pillows. It was very  
  
clear he was a fairly jittery man from the way he kept fidgeting and the  
  
way his eyes kept moving, as if something monstrous would leap out of the  
  
shadows and devour him whole.  
  
"We found you bleeding near the woods." answered Darien. "I am Darien  
  
Praedari. This is my home, do you remember how you came to be near my   
  
property and outside the city?"  
  
The man had dark black hair and odd light brown eyes that sometimes   
  
flashed a golden glitter. He ran his hands through his hair several times,   
  
shaking his head negatively.  
  
Malachyte then took over the asking of questions.  
  
Serena stood silently, unmoving. The longer she was in the room, the  
  
more she began noticing little oddities about the man in the bed. She   
  
could sense the feelings emanating from him, but nothing else. She could  
  
only feel the impressions that the man himself was broadcasting.  
  
This man has a natural mental barrier.  
  
She also felt an intense pressure that made her feel uneasy. The man  
  
though confused and frightened, made her instincts stand on an end. As if  
  
there was danger just underneath the exterior. A spark at the back of her  
  
mind caught her attention, and she turned to look at Darien who in turn  
  
was staring at her.  
  
Almost at once, she was ushered out by Darien. His face a mask.  
  
  
  
Darien kept his emotions in check. The possessive jealous side of him   
  
had roared out in outrage the moment he felt Serena's untrained mental  
  
abilities reach out towards the man like feelers.  
  
However, that meant perhaps Serena could offer an opinion on his views.  
  
"You sensed it too, did you not?" he asked in a quiet voice.  
  
"Sense what?"  
  
"You could only read what was most prominently being broadcasted by his  
  
mind. Nothing else. That man has a mental shield."  
  
Serena was surprised. "You know? Could you read him?" asked Serena  
  
suddenly curious as to what other abilities a Panthera held.  
  
"I tried communicating mentally with him as I do you. There was nothing.  
  
I do not believe he even knew what I was doing. However, if I pushed past  
  
his shields to read him, he would know. It is an interesting an unique   
  
mental barrier."  
  
"But he has no mental abilities besides the shields?"  
  
"I do not believe so. However, he is the animal that the news has been  
  
reporting. The man killer."  
  
"WHAT???"  
  
"He reverted to the form of human when he was injured and became   
  
unconcious. His scent is....odd. Like yours. Human yet not. He changed   
  
into a panther, yet he does not have the scent of Panthera. And he could  
  
revert back where else Panthera's who have killed humans and become  
  
man-eaters, cannot."   
  
"What are you saying? He's a hybrid?"  
  
She didn't know why she was even discussing this. She had promised herself  
  
she would not get mixed up anymore than she already was in Darien Praedari's  
  
world. However, she could not help herself. For some reason, she cared.  
  
She stopped and Darien continued to walk. He did not turn around or look  
  
back at her. And that annoyed her for some reason. Made her feel a bit   
  
lonely.  
  
"Hey."  
  
He turned.  
  
"My father's name was Raphael. Raphael Ferale."  
  
With that, she turned and walked off in the other direction, leaving   
  
Darien standing in the corridor, stunned at her revelation.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena walked down the corridor, her mind awhirl with shock. Why had she  
  
just told Darien Praedari her father's name? She hadn't even wanted to   
  
tell him earlier.  
  
Unwittingly, she found herself back in the South Wing. Confused, she  
  
merely stared at her feet in annoyance. What had brought her back here?  
  
She tensed suddenly, catching her breath. Her sensitive hearing picked  
  
up the sound of a door closing and footsteps walking away muffled by the  
  
carpeting on the dark polished expensive rosewood flooring.  
  
Peeking around the corner, she saw Malachyte turn the corner. What the  
  
hell was she doing with the sneaky stuff?  
  
Serena didn't know what in the world was making her act like this, but  
  
for some reason, she didn't want anybody to know of her visit to the  
  
injured man in the South Wing.  
  
However, she would regret that decision very soon....  
  
  
  
Darien was still staring into thin air dumb-founded. She was the daughter  
  
of his former bestfriend. This was just too unbelievable. Raphael had  
  
fathered a child. With a human.  
  
This thought suddenly slammed home into his brain. Serena had Panthera  
  
blood in her veins. And yet, her scent mostly that of human. Her mother  
  
had been human.  
  
His thoughts brought him back to the murder report of a human woman the  
  
night Raphael had disappeared. Serena's mother had been Raphael's mate...  
  
So, it now boiled down to the fact that, what was once impossible in  
  
nature, had finally occured. Serena was half-Panthera, and that was the  
  
proof. But she couldn't take on the form of a panther...  
  
What of the man that was now injured and lying in the South Wing?  
  
  
  
Serena entered the dark room, closing the door shut behind her. The   
  
window drapes fluttered in the wind, bringing a chill to her spine.  
  
"Who's there?" came a frightened voice.  
  
"My name is Serena. I was here earlier." she answered slowly. "You are?"  
  
"My name is David E. Scott."  
  
Serena walked closer to the bed and sat down. She felt waves of tension  
  
and fear smothering the room. It made her head ache and her heart pound.  
  
"I know you're scared. Did Malachyte frighten you? I'm sure Praedari's  
  
men are asses just like-"  
  
"Oh no, he was very kind. I just wish I knew what had happened to me."  
  
Serena felt her pulse speed up and the other mysterious part of her  
  
scream in her head, telling her to get away. Somehow, she could not...  
  
Licking her lips, Serena probed...  
  
"You,...really don't remember? What do you remember?"  
  
The man's odd eyes locked with hers. Taking a deep breath, the man   
  
shook his head.  
  
"The only thing I remember was going back home. I was very tired...I'd  
  
been feeling strange the whole day. I thought I was coming down with the  
  
flu. Maybe my dreams have been getting to me."  
  
"Dreams?"  
  
  
  
Darien stared at his computer. Being wealthy really had its benefits.  
  
He was staring at the files and records of the man, Malachyte had said his  
  
name was David E. Scott.  
  
According to his personal files, the man was an orphan. Both parents had  
  
died when he had been 5 years old. Scott was his mother's maiden name.  
  
  
  
"I've been having these dreams ever since I was a boy. Of climbing trees  
  
in the night. Jumping over rooftops."  
  
Serena merely stayed silent.  
  
"Well, that night, I felt like my body didn't belong to me. Like there  
  
was something, a part of me I'd never known before and it was trying to   
  
get out. I must have fallen asleep after that. I had a fever and stomach  
  
cramps."  
  
Serena noticed his glazed look, as if he was suddenly a million miles   
  
away from her. His eyes took on a golden gleam. Her inner alarm was making  
  
a racket in her brain now.  
  
Suddenly, his head spun to face her. His eyes were gleaming.  
  
"David?"  
  
David shook his head and wiped his brow. "I don't feel well. My skin  
  
feels like it's crawling...it hurts."  
  
His scream of pain was suddenly very terrifying and Serena watched as  
  
his hands suddenly became paws, the extended claws tearing at the bedsheet.  
  
  
  
Darien shot from his chair as shock and fear slammed into his mind. His  
  
preternatural hearing picked up the sound of somebody screaming. He was  
  
out of his study and racing towards the South Wing in a shot.  
  
David E. Scott had to be half-Panthera like Serena. Only that he had  
  
inherited a different set of abilities compared to Serena....  
  
While Serena was fast, strong and had psychic abilities, David had none  
  
save a strong mental barrier....and the ability to morph. However, it  
  
was clear...David had no control or human rationalization in his feline  
  
form. He was all wild cat, and the human David had no recollection of  
  
anything the cat did.  
  
And Serena had inadvertantly put herself in danger....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
To be continued...  
  
29/11/03  
  
Edited: 29/11/03  
  
Okay, I'm finished! *shock* I know I know, I said no cliffie. But I really  
  
have no idea how to end a chapter without a cliffie. I seriously apologize.  
  
I've been in a manga funk. Still have a craving for manga, but I'm slowly  
  
beginning to read books again. :)  
  
So, what do you think? Plus, I'm now working on that spin-off from   
  
'Dark Angel'. Focusing on Geoffrey and Zach. ('-^)/ *wink* 


	5. Genesis

Title: Twilight

Author: Tapestry

Rating: R

Standard Disclaimer Apply

... denotes mind speaking

24/12/03

"Woman was created from the ribs of man

Not from his head to top him

Nor from his feet to be walked upon

She was made from his side to be his equal

From beneath his arms to be protected

From very near his heart to be loved."

--Anonymous--

AN: I love all my reviewers and thanks for the encouragement and people

who sent me emails! (-) One reviewer said the story was similar to

Dark Angel (was that it?) Anyways... in DA, Serena's character sort of

needed to be protected alot. I'm trying to make the Serena here be

able to kick ass! (-) Wish me luck. That's why I always have her

punching Darien. :p Love ya all lots! (Chappie title makes no sense)

Another thing, there's nothing special to David's existence. He's just

named after 2 guys I know online. "FD", "sf", you guys know who you

are. I kept my promise of making u two into a character for me to

torture. Hahaha... ahem

Chapter 4: Genesis

Serena froze as she watched with an eerie sense of perverse fascination,

David screaming and tearing at the bed sheets. There was a sort of

horrifying beauty in David's transformation from human to cat.

She couldn't bring herself to move as finally, the screaming stopped

and in the place of the man, a large mesmerizing black panther lay. The

cat flexed sinuous muscles and purred lightly in satisfaction as it

stretched out on the bed.

Serena hardly dared to breathe as the cat's head swung to face her, its

topaz eyes pinning her on the spot, as if trying to see through to her

soul. The cat's eyes shone in the dark staring unblinkingly. There was no

trace of the man within.

Blue locked with amber yellow.

Without warning, the cat suddenly let out a terrifying and blood

curdling snarl before leaping towards her with surprising speed, claws

unsheathed and teeth bared. No cigar prize for guessing what the cat

intended to shred into a bloody pulp.

Yes, well... Serena Ferale was no slowpoke herself.

Serena's reflexes sprang into action as she somersaulted over the huge

predator, landing on the ripped bed. The cat let out a venomous hiss in

missing its prey, slowly it turned to face her once more, tail twitching.

She glared at the cat. If he wanted a meal, he'd have to work for it.

As she monitored the cat's movements, her normal blue eyes took on the

reflective glow of a predator's.

Gracefully, both moved in synchronism with each other, like an elegant

and hypnotic dance. The cat didn't advance nor did it retreat. It merely

stared unblinkingly, pacing with Serena. Obviously, the cat was still much

more intellegent than the average panther for it knew when Serena tried to

reach the door to exit, and would swiftly block her escape.

A prickling sensation began at her neck before it spread to every inch of

her skin. Warning bells in her head sounded off, the tensed atmosphere in

the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Everything seemed to go into

slow motion as Serena saw the cat leap for her.

She saw the malicious gleam in the cat's eyes. The drool that slobbered

from its open jaws. Heard the whisper of air that shushed through its

thick black fur and claws.

Serena dove for the ground, her intense hearing picking up the tearing

of cloth that sounded like a gunshot in her ears. A scream tore from her

throat as claws raked her shoulder. She barely managed to turn her body

sideways to stop the ground and her wound from impacting. Using all of

her strength, she lashed out with her feet, kicking the cat and driving

it a few feet from her.

The cat was hardly fazed and merely pounced on her, knocking her flat on

her back. She hissed out in pain as her shoulder stung from connecting

with the floor. Hatred oozed from every pore of the cat. She didn't

struggle, thinking it best not to antagonize the huge feline any further.

Instead, Serena decided the most prudent course of action, would be to try

to calm the killing machine down using the gifts that had made her hide

from others, her psychic abilities.

Her mind touched on the red burning rage in the cat. The blood lust

in its mind was so prevalent, it was all she could do to keep from feeling

sick to her stomach. Curiosity got to her as she felt the hate, the anger.

But something else was driving it on to kill humans and any other that tried

to stop it from doing so.

The cat was staring at her, frozen; with their minds linked. A scene

flashed before her eyes...

A woman brutally beaten. A large panther that lay dead in the snow, blood

pooling from a gunshot wound. A huge bear of a man that beat the woman,

leaving her to die in the snow.

Then, there was pain and blood.

SERENA, GET OUT OF HIS MIND! raged a sudden voice.

Darien.

The panther on top of her shook its head as if to clear its senses. The

growl came back.

Finally, the door to the room shattered.

Darien cursed at putting David in the South Wing. The furthest wing

possible from his study. Turning corners and walking swiftly on foot, his

mind searched for Serena.

What he found made his gut fall and sent his animal side spinning into

rage. She was in the room with a full grown male panther on her. And she

still had the guts to be wandering inside the panther's mind.

His stride broke into a run. Everything around him blurred as he sprinted

for the room.

SERENA, GET OUT OF HIS MIND! he roared at his mate mentally. He stopped

in front of the door a second later. Balling his hand into a fist, he

pulled his arm back and sent his knuckles flying at the heavy wooden door

with cruel speed and brutal power.

Wood cracked and splintered under his strength, sending bits of wood

flying into the room, half of the door, unhinged from the wall. That

mattered not. The only thing that consumed his mind was the huge feline

that was preparing to take a chunk out of Serena's throat...

Before anyone even had a chance to blink, he was already catching the

cat by the scruff and hurling it at the wall while simultaneously pulling

Serena off the floor and behind him.

The panther's feet hit the wall and the animal rebounded like a spring,

landing on the floor with a snarling hiss at the new intruder. The cat's

eyes suddenly glowed brighter as if in recognition before spitting at

Darien with malice.

Darien's own eyes glowed with answering aggression. Not bothering to meet

the cat in animal form, he moved, his form blurring as his large frame

bowled the cat over, his hand catching its throat and slamming the animal

violently into the wooden flooring with a sickening crunch.

Ribs were definitely broken.

The cat clawed and twisted in a frenzy, tearing bloody gashes and opening

bleeding wounds in Darien's arm and any other body part its claws came into

contact with.

Darien's intense stare never wavered from the cat's, almost as if he

didn't notice the wounds the cat was inflincting into his person. His

determination and attention was focused, locked merely on the thought of

subduing this creature that had sought to harm his mate.

The cat finally ceased its struggles, laying passively beneath Darien.

Darien had no sense of time, did not feel, as the minutes ticked by. His

beast merely registered that the renegade had submitted and he was dominant.

His mind was a haze of fury at the thought of this cat harming Serena...

The outsider deserved death. He tightened his grip slightly, cutting off

air but the cat still did not move, his beast raised its head in victory,

muzzle snarling at the thought of biting deep into the other cat's throat.

The thought of warm blood flowing down his throat and...

A tiny fist struck him in the shoulder.

His hand caught the small fist as it descended again for another smack.

His eyes found that of Serena's. Her own eyes gleamed bright, glittering

with anger.

Apparently, she had been trying to get his attention for awhile.

"Let go of him!" hissed Serena.

He blinked and turned to look down at the cat. It was David once more,

and he was unconcious, passed out from the lack of oxygen.

His attention snapped back when, at the corner of his eye, saw Serena's

other palm fly up to attempt to box his ears. He caught hold of that limb

too. He turned to stare at the newly caught limb.

His hands were bloody, making his hold on her wrists, slippery. Carefully,

he brought one captured hand to his mouth, running his tongue over the

palm of her hand to the pads of her figertips.

A shiver ran down her spine as she felt little tingles start at her hands

that travelled to her spine, right down to the tips of her toes, making

them curl.

Serena tried to pull her hands from his grip. After several more

unsuccessful attempts, she gave up and turned her temper at Darien's

person.

"What did you think you were doing?! Idiot! Fool! I had everything under

control until you decided to burst in and break my concentration. Just

look at what you did!"

"Doors can be replaced. It's only money." replied Darien.

"I didn't mean the door! I meant him! And your arm."

"He deserves death for what he tried to do. And my wound is nothing.

I've sustained worse than this before, you do not have to worry."

"Who's worrying! Fool! Baboon! Idiot! No-brain! Pervert!" exclaimed

Serena as her frame started to shake and tears unwittingly began to fall.

"Serena..."

Darien stared at the small woman in confusion as he heard her sniffles

and heard the teardrops fall from her eyes and hit the floor. He uncurled

a hand and lifted it to wipe her tears.

"What's wrong?"

"You're not even sorry are you? You don't even think you did anything

wrong."

Silence...

"No. What did I do?"

Serena glared at him and took advantage of her free fist to throw a

punch at the exasperating man's face.

The effort caused her wound to open again...

"Ouch!"

"What happened?" exclaimed Darien in anxiety as he immediately turned

Serena's back to face him. His eyes darkened and hatred and rage grew in

his mind. He turned to glare at the unconcious man at the far end of the

room.

Turning back, he instinctively bent his head to clean the wound with his

tongue. Serena's head shot straight up at that.

"What-?"

"Hold still... this will help."

"What?!"

"Our saliva has a chemical agent that speeds up our healing process. Now

hold still or you'll get more than just medical care, my darling." he

purred out.

Serena merely deemed to respond to his remark with a hiss and softly

muttered curses, which made Darien laugh, planting a small kiss on the

flesh between her neck and shoulder.

Darien sat quietly in his large armchair while his sister carefully tended

his arm, applying a poultice to it. The members of his pride that he most

trusted, sat silently in his study, waiting for him to announce the reason

he had gathered them together.

"Why must my mate be the one to tend to your injury? You have a mate

now..." grumbled Jadeite as he sunk himself deeper into the chair he was

sitting in.

"Jade!"

And the silence continued once more...

Malachyte watched his friend and leader with confusion. Darien's face was

locked in a frown, his eyebrows knitted together in deep concentration.

Something was bothering him.

"Darien...if you are worried about the one called David, you can set your

mind at ease. I've given him a heavy sedative. I doubt he would be able

to wake up even if you tried."

"It is not that, Mal." answered Darien suddenly, looking up.

"Why did you call us here, Darien?" asked Lita.

Darien clenched his fist and pulled his injured arm away from his sister's

grasp.

"Thank you, Raye. I'm fine...this is nothing."

"Darien-!"

"The reason I called you here is to discuss a matter that is important

to our race and will need to be announced to the Pride Council, once this

matter I am about to mention, has been investigated."

"What matter?"

"Serena has claimed her father, to be Raphael."

A stunned silence filled the room before it was finally broken by

Malachyte.

"Impossible Darien! Are you saying Serena is a hybrid? But Raphael turned!

He became a man-eater! If he had a mate and offspring, how is it he turned?"

"How would you explain Serena then? And I remember well, 15 years ago,

Malachyte. There was a murder of a young woman in the city the night

Raphael disappeared...it came out in the news. A few days later, police

found evidence of the murderer....but no body. And then I killed Raphael...

the woman was Serena's mother for certain." murmured Darien.

"Does Serena know her father is dead?" asked Nephlyte quietly.

"No she doesn't. And no one will mention Raphael either, until I have the

chance to tell her."

"It really doesn't make sense..."

"What doesn't Zoy?" asked Lita.

"I've studied both the Panther and Human phsiology and chemistry. Both

species should not be compatable at all, and yet this has happened."

"It could be that the human who was Raphael's mate, had a rare genetic

mutation." offered Jadeite.

"That's not clear. I'd like to ask Serena to offer a blood sample,

Darien. Then I can study how her chemistry differs from a regular human."

Darien nodded. "I want you to analyse David's as well. I believe he, like

Serena may be Panthera-Human hybrids."

"Wait, if he is...this could stem the possibility of there being more

hybrids around on earth...wouldn't it?" asked Raye, her eyebrows knitting.

"Of course. That is why I called this meeting. To discuss the possibility

of these hybrids and what their existence could mean to the secret of our

kind. Humans already find it so difficult to accept people in their own

race, whatsmore our own? We need to know what the threat to our race is."

"But Darien, even if we do find out? How would we be able to find these

hybrids that may or may not exist, now or in the possible future?" asked

Malachyte.

"We'll figure that one out, but right now...Zoycite, I need you to work

on this possibility."

"I'll go and visit David now." nodded Zoycite, getting up from his seat.

As Zoycite left, Darien turned to the rest of them. This matter was

important to their race. It could be the beginning of a whole new hope for

their kind, or the beginning of trouble for their race.

"Find everything you can on David and Serena's past, Malachyte. I need to

know if anybody knows of their condition. Especially check their medical

records and birth records."

"I'll get right on it, Darien."

Serena awoke to the sounds of birds and the smell of coffee and breakfast.

Pushing herself up onto one arm, she looked about the room, searching for

any sign of the elusive scent.

A sharp twinge caused her to wince as she sat up, flexing her muscles.

The injury was sore, but nothing of the pain she had expected. The saliva

really had helped, not to mention she had faster healing capabilities than

a normal human being.

It didn't take Serena long to change and make her way downstairs to the

dining area. She found Darien sitting at the head of the long dining table,

sipping coffee with a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him.

"Good morning, Serena."

Seating herself down, a servant immediately appeared, placing a plate

of food and a glass of juice in front of her. Hungrily, she wolfed the

contents of the plate down.

"Serena, I need your help." came Darien's voice slowly.

Looking up, Serena frowned.

"Help? I got the impression you don't ask. You just do." murmured Serena,

chewing on her bacon thoughtfully. "What have you done to David?"

"He's being supervised. He'll be coming down soon as well. I have a

request of the two of you."

"Now I'm really curious. What do you want, Darien?"

"I'll tell you, soon."

Serena waited for David patiently. When he appeared, he was accompanied

by the man Darien had previously introduced to her as Zoycite. David looked

tired.

"What did you do to him?" hissed Serena.

Darien ignored her.

"David, do you know where you are?" asked Darien patiently.

David nodded.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I...no..I don't know. Mr.Iciyalis here explained some things to me

before I came down, but I'm having a time absorbing all the information

he just presented to me."

Turning to Serena, David winced in recollection. "Sorry about last

night, Miss Ferale."

"But do you believe his words?"

Serena listened in confusion at the conversation going on. Her mental

abilities were picking up waves of tension in the room and David, for all

his mental barriers, was broadcasting his confusion and anxiety plainly

to her brain.

This got her own emotions into a riot and on the edge.

Silence had reigned from Darien's question.

"David?"

"I do...I believe him. And I believe you."

"Then you know why, I am going to ask you this."

Turning to Serena, Darien looked over at her confused face and a twinge

of protection rose to the surface. His beast told him to protect her, to

take her away from what he was going to ask.

"Serena, David...I need you to do some physicals for Zoycite and to

provide a blood sample."

"What?" came Serena's reply.

"You have Panthera blood, Serena. You and David. We need to learn how

that happened, and what the possibility is of more like you in the world.

This concerns survival and the future of Panthera and the hybrids alike."

said Darien slowly.

"Me? You've got to be kidding. I've just got good genes, that's all.

Maybe David, but I can't change into a cat like him. The only thing I have

in common with you guys are, well..." said Serena as she shook her head in

denial.

"David, Zoy..."

Zoycite nodded his understanding and took David lightly by the arm.

"I want to know about my past, Mr.Praedari. I'm willing to help you."

answered David.

Darien gave a small smile and a nod. "I think we can hopefully find a

way for you to control your transformations."

After David and Zoycite had left, Darien turned his attention to his mate.

She had gotten up from her chair and was staring out into the cold foggy

day. White wisps of mist curled around the trees in the yard.

"Serena..."

"I'm human, Darien. I know I'm a little odd, that I'm different from

other humans. Which is why I caught your attention, but...I'm human."

Darien came up behind her, pulling her back into his embrace, and resting

his chin on her collarbone. It was odd she wasn't hissing and spitting at

him yet for his trespass on her feminine person.

"Serena, I know that it's hard to think you may be a hybrid of my race

and humans, but that's exactly what you are. You may seem human, Serena.

But deep down, you know that feline side of you exists. You've lived with

it all your life."

Darien felt her denial. He knew she was rejecting the thought of not

being human. She could accept the idea of another race as long as it did

not encompass her own life. Serena had strived too much in the attempt to

be normal to give up now.

"You're my mate, Serena. You cannot run away from this."

Perhaps the time to tell her of her father had come sooner than he liked.

"I don't care about this mate business, Darien. I'm leaving for the city

today. I don't want to be mixed up in this too much. I'll keep your secret

of your race, but-"

"Your father lived here at one time when he was alive."

That pole-axed her.

"Stay and face your heritage, Serena. Don't you want to learn of Raphael

Ferale?" asked Darien as he dangled the bait of her past.

There was silence and saw her hands grip the wooden frame of the window,

gouges in the wood appearing.

"You have no scruples, do you Darien?"

"Not when it comes to the woman who holds my soul." grinned Darien

unrepentantly.

"I'll stay and do your damn physical. But this doesn't mean I've given

up on leaving."

"I wouldn't dream of it." placated Darien smoothly.

"Baboon."

Stepping down from the bus, the man with hazel eyes gave a slow smile.

He was here for a reason and he could feel it in his bones that he had

finally caught up. First, he was going to meet up with his people, then he

was going to start his search of the city.

She was here. He could taste her.

She had eluded him for years, but he had never given up trying to catch

her. She beguiled him...

She was his obsession.

She was part of them.

He believed the Lord had a great plan in store for them and they would

soon overtake the normal men and women who ran the world. Change was

coming, and he was going to be the leader and she was going to stand by

his side.

Whether she wanted it, or not.

To be continued....

Whoa...this chapter is short, but I've finally ended it. I'm really sorry

everybody for not updating sooner. I know, I'm evil. But I really have

been busy with college, plus a total lack of idea and killer writer's block.

However, I'm trying my best! Honest!

I love all my readers and seriously, I really was surprised at all the

reviews I got for this story... very mind-boggling. :)

Anyways....you guys are the greatest.

Finished: 27/9/04

Edited: 14/10/04


	6. Past

Title: Twilight  
Author: Tapestry  
Rating: R  
Standard Disclaimer Apply  
_'italics'_ denotes mind speaking  
**_bold italics_** denotes flashback  
11/07/05

"Woman was created from the ribs of man  
Not from his head to top him  
Nor from his feet to be walked upon  
She was made from his side to be his equal  
From beneath his arms to be protected  
From very near his heart to be loved."  
--Anonymous--

---------------------------------------------------------------------

- Chapter 5: Past -

Serena Ferale frowned as she jogged on the treadmill, wires and nodes connected to points on her body, the electrical impulses feeding data into the computer which was being monitored by the man called Zoycite.

She was starting to dislike the man.

It had been nothing but tests and physicals for the past week. Blood work exams, eye exams, metabolism exams, you name it, Zoycite had done it. The man was on the verge of driving her crazy.

How David withstood the prodding and poking she didn't know. But if it weren't for the fact that Darien had dangled that piece of bait about her father, she never would have stayed. Then again, maybe she would have. She couldn't be sure.

She didn't know... everything was so new, so raw. It was hard to take in everything that was happening. And the worse thing was that pull, the attraction towards Darien Praedari that was growing stronger each day.

Her mind immediately flew back to two nights before when that infuriating man had cornered her in a dark archway outside, and had proceeded to make her senses spin with a deep kiss, sucking on her tongue. Her bones, she was sure had turned to water. Of course, she had recovered a minute later and socked him in the gut, leaving the man chuckling out into the night, holding his aching belly.

_'You enjoyed the kiss, darling. Admit it.'_ purred the voice.

Serena blinked. Again with the mind thing.

_'Get lost!'_

"Ah Darien," said Zoycite as he looked towards the door.

Serena blinked, her head immediately swinging towards his direction. Damn, she'd been so preoccupied with their mental battle that she hadn't even noticed his approach to the room.

Darien smiled calmly at Serena's glowering face. He flashed his pearly whites and chuckled at the reaction he got, which was Serena sticking her tongue out childishly at him.

David nodded quietly at Darien, offering a small smile before he left the room and padded down the hall.

His attention immediately returned to his mate, who was currently gulping down water from a bottle. He watched eagerly as a drop escaped her lips and travelled down her neck, making him want to follow that bead of water.

She gave a sigh and licked her lips, his eyes blazed with hot desire. She turned and suddenly their gazes were caught.

He knew the bond between them was growing, and close to fanning wildly out of control. But he couldn't claim her...

Not yet. Not when there were still things that needed to be said between them, and especially not when she still fought against them. He had to be patient, but the call of the cat was strong. The male's urge to simply dominate and force his female into submission.

Darien was broken out of his thoughts by Zoycite calling him.

"Darien."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Serena blinked in confusion as Darien broke his gaze and turned to look at Zoycite. What had just happened?

For a moment, the intense stare had inflamed her body, making her run both hot and cold at the same time.

His eyes had been hungry, the pupils so dilated his blue eyes had almost seemed black. Was learning about her father really worth the price she knew she would have to pay?

Shaking her head, she moved swiftly to stand behind Zoycite so that she could have viewing access to whatever it was that the man wanted to show Darien.

As expected, he was immediately beside her, sheltering her smaller frame with his larger one.

Standing next to Serena, Darien waited expectantly as Zoycite removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose in an attempt to smooth away the headache he felt coming. He had not shifted at all in the past week. Not to run, not to hunt. He had sat in the lab analyzing every result that had returned from the various tests. The cat within him was restless.

"As we suspected, Serena and David are hybrids. They have Panthera genetic material in their DNA coding, but as to their differing abilities, I have no explanation. I can only theorise that they inherited their characteristics from the different gene sequences they got from their Panthera parents."

"Hmm, the random selection of genes during meiosis, huh?"

"Exactly."

"Chemistry-wise, both of them are more similar to the Panthera, which doesn't really make sense since both of them smell almost like humans. But since I have no idea about the genetics of their human parents, I can only say I will need further research on this matter." sighed Zoycite as he stretched in his chair, feeling his bones shift.

Serena felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle. An itching tingle started underneath her skin and an intense pressure very much like the sensation of her initial meeting with David.

The feeling of danger and uneasiness swept over her. Unnerved, Serena shifted her feet, the urge to run sounding loudly in her body.

Darien frowned and shifted even closer to her, an arm curling around her shoulder, locking her firmly to his side.

"You should rest, Zoy. You've been at it for the past week, and I can feel your cat trying to surface." murmured Darien, a slight censure in his tone.

_'You are making Serena uneasy.'_

Zoycite blinked.

"I apologize, Darien." said Zoycite standing, one hand going to rub the back of his neck. "I believe you are right."

Zoycite nodded at Serena, she, offering a small smile, before he brushed past the couple and headed out of the room.

Left alone together, Serena stared down at the large hand that enclosed her own.

Sensing her confusion and contemplation, Darien quickly diverted her attention from the little bit of intimacy.

"So, shall we continue on with more about your father?" asked Darien.

Serena looked up and nodded. "I'd like that."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

He led her by the hand up to an empty portion of the huge mansion, silence reigning between both as they walked together. She had been down the very same corridor for the past week. Heading towards the room where Raphael Ferale had once lived.

Entering the room, the rich dark furnishings still managed to instil a sense of awe in her. It was hard to think her father had been nearly a thousand years old when he had met her mother, though Darien had told her stories of their childhood escapades and shown her old artifacts in almost mint condition. Something museum curators would give their eye-teeth for.

Looking at the dark haired man from the corner of her eye, a small smile graced her lips as she remembered her shock at his revelation of his age.

_**"A thousand years? Be serious Praedari! My father didn't look a day over twenty-five or even thirty!"**_

_**"I am serious. Your father was my childhood friend. I can clearly recall what a troublemaker he was. You must have inherited that from him, my little cat."**_

_**"Like you were a little angel, I doubt that, Mr. Praedari. And I'm not your little cat." she retorted, sticking her tongue at him.**_

_**"And just to point it out, if you're as old as my father, that would make you too old for me. WAY too old!"**_

_**"I'm just the right age for you, sweet. And I can prove it." purred Darien, looking like a cat ready to pounce.**_

_**"More on my dad, and less of your ridiculous lines, Praedari."**_

Sitting on the large 14th century antique chair, Darien glanced at her, silently grinning at her recollection of their conversation.

"Well? What would you like to know about your father, today? Or should we continue on from where we left off?"

Serena blinked.

Following suit, she settled down in an opposite chair.

"I want to know how you, my father... everyone came to be in America."

"Ah well... We had been moving around for a few centuries already. But in the last country we were in, a civil war broke out. I deemed it unsafe and so we fled to this land mass."

"It wasn't an easy choice after all. We had young in our group, and many are often reluctant to push their children so hard a journey. Our children don't often survive their first few years. But Raphael helped in the decision. If we did not leave, none of the children would survive for sure."

Serena watched as Darien drifted off to his world of memories, his eyes distant and sad. She was beginning to see this enigmatic man in a whole new light. A leader, a friend and a brother. She remembered him with Raye and her baby girl.

Shaking her head, she frowned. She wouldn't let her guard down. She had no intention of staying here, no matter how comfortable this life he was offering her was.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

His hazel eyes gleamed in the dim light.

"Report."

The two men in front of him glanced at each other nervously, shifting from foot to foot.

"We haven't found her, sir." said the first man.

"She was in the city, without a doubt. But a week ago, she disappeared. According to her employer, she left on a vacation, no one knows where though. However, apparently, she called the office and quit." continued the second man.

"She's gone?"

"Her belongings are still here."

"Idiot! She's not the kind to be attached to material items. I want a definite answer to whether or not, she is still here in this city!" he snarled, his fist slamming on the wooden desk.

"Of course, yes sir!" babbled the two men as they bowed and stumbled over each other in fear.

Leaving the room, he was once again alone in the room with its dim lighting. Crossing the room, he poured a snifter of brandy, swirling the dark amber liquid before sipping.

Lightning crackled across the sky, zigzagging in a magnificent display of blue flame and illuminating the room to show the hazel-eyed man with his chin length, snow white hair, and his lips curled in distaste.

"Still you run from me. But I believe you are still somewhere close by beloved. You know we are the future, and I am the one who will bring it to pass." he whispered, his hazel eyes, briefly turning to molten gold.

On the outskirts of the city, Serena shivered. Rubbing her forearms, she made a brief sweep of her surroundings, probing for any dark shadow that had caused that sudden chill to run down her spine. Sensing nothing, Serena shook her head.

The wind?

Or something more?

Entering the house, she cocked her head, hearing voices from the rec room, Serena made her way towards company.

Upon reaching, she greeted the group who were lazily lounging, except for Zoycite who was no where to be seen. Probably analyzing his results again.

Darien was immediately up and moving towards her, as expected.

Swinging an arm around her shoulders, he manoeuvred her into a very comfortable seat before his own.

About to turn her head and prod at his familiarity, she instead froze at the sound of the newscaster's next piece of news.

"In other events, mountain climbers discovered the corpse of thirty-two year old, Rubeus Merphurio. The man was presumed to have fallen and broken his neck during a climb." read the woman on the television.

"Serena?"

Darien frowned, his attention narrowing at the television. Was the man someone she knew? Rubbing her shoulders to ease the sudden tension, he contemplated the silver-blonde who sat stock still in her seat, frozen.

"An autopsy has yet to be done, to determine if any foul play was involved, however according to police, the man's death is most likely, an unfortunate accident." finished the anchorwoman.

"Darien..." breathed Serena rigidly.

"What is it?"

"You can't let them perform the autopsy."

"What?"

"Rubeus Merphurio. You can't let the authorities perform the autopsy. He's half-panthera."

Her claim received gapes and almost immediately, shouts and questions from the men in the room, who had jumped to their feet, a scant second after their initial shock.

"Half-panthera? How do you know?"

"Are you sure!"

"Impossible!"

"Quiet!" growled Darien.

The men immediately ceased and looked towards Darien for a decision.

"How do you know this, Serena?"

Serena blinked, and shifted before looking away, avoiding the probing looks. "Because I know Rubeus. And he felt exactly the same."

"You've met others like you." charged Darien accusingly. "Haven't you?"

Serena swung her head to meet his gaze that smoldered with flame. He was angry... no, upset, by her silence.

"I have."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, the body of Rubeus Merphurio was stolen, and despite attempts by the authorities to locate the missing corpse, no trace was ever found.

Serena lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Rubeus Merphurio, dead... a broken neck from a fall? She wanted to scoff. Rubeus could have fallen from a third storey building and still have landed on his feet without breaking a bone.

Rubeus had died here.

That meant he was here. The one man from her past she most sought to avoid.

Dimando Kreuz.

Which meant, she had to leave.

"Why didn't you tell us, love?" came **his** voice.

Sitting up, she stared despondently at Darien, who had once again, slipped into her room uninvited.

"Get out, Praedari."

"Answer my question, cat." hissed Darien as he stalked closer. "You knew how important it was we determine the possibility of there being others like you and David. Why didn't you say something?"

Stopping at her bed, both glared at each other, never breaking eye contact.

"Because I didn't want to believe I wasn't human. Nor did I want to dredge up my past."

"Dimando Kreuz."

Her eyes flashed a warning. "Keep out of my head!"

"Who is he?"

"I warned you, Praedari." hissed Serena furiously, as she launched herself from the bed like quicksilver, intending to give him the pummelling she'd been wanting to from the first moment they met.

Her body rammed into his, sending both tumbling to the floor, Darien hesitating only a second before instinct kicked in and had him using her momentum to propel her away from his body.

She landed on her feet in a crouch. Her eyes blazing with a predator's gleam.

Staring at her, his own feline snarled in response to her own wild feline side that at the moment, was more evident than the woman. A challenge of dominance.

His eyes shifted, and they began their dance.

Circling each other, looking for weaknesses in the other's defence, they moved in synchronization.

Pace and stop.

Both followed the other.

Until finally, Serena charged again, totally in the grip of her Panthera nature. She scored a swipe at his jaw. That would leave a bruise.

He retaliated, catching her around the waist and sending both of them to the carpeted wooden floor with a thud.

She jabbed him in the ribs.

But deep within the grip of his own animal, he barely acknowledged the blow.

Gripping her wrists in his hands, he pinned them to the floor, settling himself dominantly over her, snarling while she hissed back. Both in the throes of battle frenzy.

Some elemental part of him still recognized her as his mate, and so, gentled his strength, but his cat was still irked that she resisted.

_'Yield! I am dominant here!'_ demanded the male.

_'Never! I'll rip your throat out!'_ hissed the female.

_'You are impossible!'_ charged the male, as he transferred her wrists to one hand, his other slipped down to curl round her vulnerable throat. Under the palm of his hand, he felt the warmth and the pounding throb of blood rushing through her veins.

Suddenly, they were ravishing each other's mouth, his one hand still keeping possession of her wrists, and the other hand moved down to palm her thrusting breasts.

She mewled as his tongue lapped a caress over her throat, her hands struggling to free themselves.

Fire blazed through their veins, and with a growl, he was ripping the buttons off her pajama top. Some buttons clattered while some landed without a sound, scattered by the violent tug. He had her shirt open then, and immediately latching onto one nipple.

Mating fever.

Her hands got loose and at once, one buried itself in his hair while the other clutched itself at his shoulder, digging into flesh.

His breath tickling her skin as he continued down his path, inhaling her scent, committing it to memory.

Mate.

His mate. His to claim. His to mark. All his!

A low growl had him flipping her onto her stomach, as her scent lodged in his nose, driving him mad. She turned her head to snarl at him, trying to throw him off. He paid her no heed, already yanking at her pajama bottoms, the material ripping.

_'Mine!'_

The hand that had been holding her hands captive, slipped downwards in exploration. Darien struggled to pull himself out of his lust hazed state, this was not how he had intended to bond them. The cat within him however, merely roared in triumph as he found the evidence of her desire. Hot wet silk between her legs.

Serena herself was trying to remember she was angry at Darien. But that intriguing hand at her sex was causing havoc. The panthera in her merely purred in satisfaction.

Moments later, she felt him moving to cover her body with his, a symbol of dominance. The feline in her melted and she lowered her upper arms to the floor in a submissive posture.

The first taking and the sudden bite at the junction between her neck and collarbone had needle-like sensations of pleasure shooting down her spine. His mark. Her neck arched upwards, her head pressing into his neck as a scream left her throat.

Then, she knew no more as the white blaze of mating fever seared her vision and senses.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The cup shattered by the side of his face and red liquid dripped down his cheek and drenched hair.

"You killed Rubeus and left his body for any fool human to find!" snarled Dimando, his hands slamming on the oak table.

"He was going to leave! And Esmeralda-"

"I don't want to hear about Esmeralda, Hawke. You should have known better! You could expose the whole lot of us! Before our vision of a better humanity came into being! Did you think of that? Now, what of Rubeus?"

The pink haired man with odd reddish brown eyes shifted from foot to foot. "He was leaving. He said he wanted nothing more to do with us."

"Why?"

"Dimando, you know how unpromising our agenda currently is. You have your brother researching day and night and we're still no closer to finding an answer. The women just don't seem to be able to conceive with any of us. We won't be able to sustain our population or even have a next generation at this rate. Many are starting to doubt the goal you put before us when you brought all of us together." sighed Hawke.

"We ARE the new humanity, Hawke. We're superior to those people walking around outside on those streets! There must be a reason why there are no pregnancies! After all, we were born weren't we?"

"Look, sure we look like we're in our twenties even though we're pushing fifty. But how long do you think we're going to live, Dimando? There are less than sixty of us that you found, all over the country."

"Get out." hissed Dimando, his eyes flashing wildly. "Before I change and rip your throat out for those words and your mistake in dealing with Rubeus."

"His body disappeared from the morgue."

That stopped Dimando as he blinked at Hawke. "Disappeared?"

"Vanished without a trace."

Dimando eyed his colleague warily. "Leave."

When the door shut, he spun on his heel and stalked towards the window. What the hell was going on? Who on earth would have stolen Rubeus' body?

Watching the sun rising, he frowned. Could it be? She knew Rubeus, and if she had seen his death on the news. Would she have stolen his body to keep the secret of their existence from the puny mortals who passed through their lives without knowledge they were doomed to be replaced?

He smiled, the light of the rising sun glinting in his eyes maniacally.

"You do care...Serena."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Serena and Darien both awoke to a new morning, both curled on the bed together, naked. Somehow, sometime during their rabid mating, they had shifted their activities to the bed.

Serena flushed and tugged at the sheet to cover her nakedness. Her body ached and tingled in places she didn't even know existed. And she felt different, more complete, for want of a better word to describe the sensation.

Darien ran a hand through his dark hair in frustration, eyeing the visible marks on her skin not covered by the sheet. He was unsure he wanted to know anymore. The especially prominent mark on one shoulder drew his eye. A bonding mark.

Hazy memories of the night before returned to him, the feel of her gripping him, screaming her pleasure. He swore.

He had to have said the bonding words. He felt her in his soul, bound as how mates were supposed to be.

"Our first time together was not as I expected." he sighed.

Blue met blue.

"We're tied together now, aren't we?" came her calm question.

Darien merely nodded, his mouth twisting in grim humour. "Apparently, our feline natures decided we were taking too long to go about it."

Serena's eyes slanted to look at him.

"Hmmm. Where do we go from here?"

"I won't lie, Serena. I never have. I want you with me, for always. Sharing my life and yes, my bed. Though I had thought to wait on that part. Obviously, I miscalculated the Panthera libido."

Serena gave a bark of laughter. "Apparently."

His eyes blazed at the sound of her laugh. The sheet moved, giving him a glimpse of the rounded curve of a breast.

"I want you."

Serena stopped laughing and blinked. His eyes had gone dark, almost black. Heat emanated from him, his scent seducing her. Dim memories of pleasure and wanting returned. He was definitely a talented and experienced lover. One that, if she believed him, belonged to her, solely. It was tempting. But that didn't mean she was going to take his word that they were inseparable now.

Of course... there was nothing wrong with wanting him was there? whispered her traitorous body.

A stroke.

A kiss.

A look.

That was all it took to have both of them writhing in each other's grasp.

"This is just sex, Darien!" hissed Serena, her teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut, gripping his shoulders. "I still don't like you."

_'So don't think I'm not going to finish that pummelling I was going to give you last night!'_

_'So you say, love.'_ came Darien's gasping reply in her mind. Once again, he bit her and this time, she reciprocated, awarding him with an identical mark on his shoulder as both went over the edge.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

To be continued...

18/7/05

Yow! I finished. Unbelievable. I actually sat down and wrote a chapter to Twilight. Thank you to all the readers who reviewed and actually stuck with me so far on the story. And aren't things heating up. Whew! Now, I need to go slave over my animation assignment. I've been very neglectful on that, and I'm envisioning a chopping block from my lecturer already.


	7. Heart to Heart

Title: Twilight  
Author: Tapestry  
Rating: R  
Standard Disclaimer Apply  
_'italics'_ denotes mind speaking  
**_bold italics_** denotes flashback  
07/09/05

"Woman was created from the ribs of man  
Not from his head to top him  
Nor from his feet to be walked upon  
She was made from his side to be his equal  
From beneath his arms to be protected  
From very near his heart to be loved."

--Anonymous--

---------------------------------------------------------------------

- Chapter 6: Heart to Heart -

Endymion Dariyavien Praedari, now known simply as Darien Praedari, awoke to the knowledge that he was not alone. A smaller body was nestled within the crook of his body, sleeping peacefully.

Serena.

His mate.

His arm across her waist tightened imperceptibly as the other hand that was thrown above their heads reached out to stroke the silvery blonde strands of her hair that was spread across his pillow.

She was a miracle to him. He could almost see the family he had once dreamed of as a cub. The tiny pitter patters of feet as they nurtured their offspring. A beautiful golden child with her colouring. His thumb reached out to stroke a feathery touch over the angry red markings on her shoulder.

They were bound to each other now, and he meant to spend the rest of his life making her happy with him.

_'I'm not that superwoman you're painting me out to be in your mind, Praedari. And children? You're moving too fast there, buddy.'_

Darien blinked in surprise at the voice that echoed in his mind. Looking over to her face, he noticed for the first time that she was awake, her sapphire eyes staring at him intently.

"We don't know if this relationship will work out, Darien. You're just...you. And I'm me. As I said last night, I still don't like you."

Darien leaned his head closer, his eyes staring at her own unblinking like a predator's gaze. His tongue reached out to lap a caress over the bite marks on her shoulder.

Serena sucked a breath at his touch.

"And we being different makes this a problem? You're attracted to me, Serena. Both of us can't deny that. We're part of the same soul, you and me." murmured Darien as he continued to nuzzle her collarbone.

"I'll admit to that, that I'm attracted to you. But don't ask me to like you, Darien. I'm still adjusting to the fact that both of us are eternally bound." she sighed, swatting his head away from her neck.

"I'm not asking you to like me, Serena."

"Oh." muttered Serena, a strange twinge in her heart.

"We have all our lives for that. Just accept me as I am now."

Darien captured her mouth in a kiss, turning her in his arms, the bed sheets tangling around them.

Both spoke nothing again for the next hour.

Darien stared down once more at the exhausted sleeping woman, her curls fanning out across the bed as she slept in sated slumber.

Brushing the back of his hand against her temple, he pressed a swift kiss to it before tenderly tucking the bed sheet around her naked body.

_**"I'm not asking you to like me, Serena."**_

_'I'm asking you to _love_ me.'_ his mind whispering to his unaware mate, slumbering peacefully.

With that, Darien left the room quietly.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Serena awoke to the warm light of the late afternoon sun falling across her face.

Sitting up, she blinked and rubbed the last remnants of sleep from her eyes as she peered about the quiet room, searching for any sign of Darien.

Finding the room empty, she got up and made a beeline for the bathroom, refreshing herself and getting dressed. By the time she was out, her stomach rumbled noisily. She had missed breakfast and lunch.

Making her way downstairs, Serena wondered if there was anything in the kitchens to eat.

Not watching where she was going, she bumped into a hard body.

"Ow."

"Sorry! Oh... hey Serena! I was just about to see if you were up because Zoy wants to take some more blood and I was just telling David here-" began Jadeite before a scent caught his attention.

Serena shifted slightly noticing the odd look that passed over Jadeite's face.

Jadeite frowned and leaned in close, giving her an exploratory sniff. His eyes widened and then blinked.

"Ah... so that's why Darien left in such a hurry for the city this morning. And his odd instructions about not waking you. Labour problems my ass." chuckled Jadeite.

"What?"

"The two of you have mated." replied Jadeite with ease.

A flush bloomed on her cheeks at Jadeite's blunt reply.

"His scent is clinging to your skin. That guy probably wanted to avoid us giving him a hard time."

_'So you left me to face the firing line?'_ snarled Serena mentally as she reached out for Darien.

_'Never, my love. I am merely giving you the space you need.'_ came his easy reply.

Serena blinked, startled. She _had_ indeed needed the space when she woke up. Needed it to sort out how and where her life would go from here. The bond between them was frightening and for a moment, wondered how she would have reacted if Darien had been beside her when she had woken.

_'Probably try to disembowel me and deny our relationship.'_

Serena frowned, she could almost see his grinning face. He was far in the city, yet with the completion of their bond, it was getting easier and easier for them to slip into each other's minds.

_'I still might when you come back.'_

_'Promises, promises. And I might not be back to the estate this night.'_

"What?"

"What what?" asked David.

Jadeite recognized the faraway look in Serena's eyes and tugged David towards Zoycite's lab.

"Leave her, David. She is occupied."

David could only look backwards, watching Serena in confusion before he turned and followed Jadeite away.

_'You are looking for Dimando.'_

_'If the man is here.'_

_'He's here. I know it. Be careful Darien.'_

_'I'm so glad you're worried about me, love.'_

_'In your dreams.'_

Serena merely gritted her teeth as his sexy laughter echoed in her brain.

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Night was beginning to set in when Darien leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes with a sigh.

He had spent practically the whole day going through anything he could find on Dimando Kreuz. Rubbing his eyes, he looked out his large pane windows, watching as the sun sank low beneath the horizon.

As the final rays of the sun disappeared, he got up from his chair swiftly, turning the computer off and exiting his office.

"I'll find my own way back to the penthouse, James." said Darien as he waved away his approaching chauffer.

With that, he left the building, his great coat swirling behind him.

Dimando walked the sidewalks, watching as lovers cuddled closer to each other, laughing lightly. The weather was chilly, being so close to winter. His lip curled in disgust as the pair kissed, entering a warm little bakery down the side.

Humankind was no more than cattle as far as he was concerned. Vermin that overran the earth in need of a firm hand to control them. The sounds and scents of the city brought information about it. The beggar in the alley. The whore at the corner street. The happy family leaving the local fast-food restaurant.

And then, a scent drifted down his way.

Dimando stopped.

Dragging a deep breath, he immediately swung his head around, the smell calling to his senses, like a beacon in the air.

Serena.

His skin fairly prickled with the need to shift to his animal form to make tracking her easier. His feet moved swiftly to follow the scent.

As he made his way down to an old alley block, he wanted to fairly shout in triumph.

But as he crept silently to avoid detection, staying down wind from his quarry, his triumph fell to defeat and then anger.

A male.

Dimando watched the dark haired man angrily, his body fairly reeking of Serena's scent. The bastard had slept with her. He saw red, ready to change and rip the man's throat out when his fairly sharp ears caught the word, 'Serena'.

Darien wondered why he had come to this part of the city. The alley where he had last battled Rafael. Too caught up in his thoughts, he paid no heed to the soft breathing and the hiss that reached his sharp ears, dismissing it as a simple alley cat.

He stared at the ground where Rafael's body had fallen after he had killed him.

"It's been a long time since I've thought of you Rafael. I've found your daughter." sighed Darien to the ground.

"You should have told us your mate was mortal. All this could have been avoided. Your Serena is much like you, old friend... I suspect she will be difficult to live with at times." chuckled Darien as he bent down to the ground and dropped a red rose to the pavement.

"Serena is my mate. You saved my life when all I did was take yours. I'm sorry. But I promise I'll take good care of your baby, Rafael. I hope you and your mate are together, wherever you are." whispered Darien.

Dimando listened with curiosity and watched as the dark haired man left.

Sure that the man was gone, Dimando walked towards the pavement and frowned. What had the man meant?

A rattle of bottles had him looking up at a ragged old man. The old bum stared at him with wide glassy eyes, his dirty hand clutching a bottle that looked to be a quarter full. His nose told him it was alcohol.

"It's the demon! The demon!" croaked the man.

Dimando raised his eyebrows in question. "Begone old man, or I will show you, demon." he hissed.

"Don't go near that man...he's a demon."

"Oh?"

"I saw him... nearly 15 years ago... he killed a huge black cat right here! Changed into one himself too he did!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Darien rubbed his neck as he entered a small restaurant he was a frequent visitor to. The waiter smiled at him and showed him to his usual table in a far corner.

Sitting down, Darien sighed. He liked the ambience of the place. Soft jazz and dimly lit tables. He had been feeling restless since he'd left Rafael's death site. His mind reached out to touch Serena's lightly and found her having her own dinner with his sister and family as company.

Satisfied she was safe and not off putting herself in danger, he withdrew and tried to focus on the menu, ignoring the coiling tension growing in his belly.

Perhaps the need to hunt was manifesting itself. He had been negligent on that aspect for the past week, so set was he on wooing his mate, he had spent almost every night in the mansion with her.

The beast called out for the thrill of the hunt, fresh kill beneath its jaws and warm blood flowing down its throat.

He shook his head.

_'Darien? Are you ill?'_

His restlessness had called out to Serena.

_'I am fine, Serena... it's nothing.'_

A soft mental hand brushed his hair and then was gone, leaving behind a sense of temporary peace.

Ordering a medium rare steak, Darien settled back to listen to the music when he felt a presence at his table.

Opening his eyes, it was a woman.

One of the women he had last seen before he had met Serena.

"Darling, it's been so long since I've seen you. Hiding in that great big mansion of yours?" purred the woman.

"Sabine."

The woman slid into the seat next to him and smiled, batting her eyelashes. Her red-slicked lips reminding him oddly of blood. The peace vanished replaced with irritation.

"I've missed you." said the woman as she tried to wind her arms around his neck and kiss him.

Catching hold of her wrists, he held her away from him with his superior strength.

"I thought I had made myself clear that day before I left. I would not be seeing you again." he stared at her coolly, remembering the hysterics and curses she had thrown.

The woman called Sabine licked her lips, "Surely you didn't mean that, love... You know I was overreacting when you said that, but-"

"I meant every word." said Darien as he smiled a feral smile. "So, leave my table before you embarrass us any further."

"It's another bitch isn't it!" spat the woman.

Darien's eyes narrowed. "Your mouth Sabine, is wonderfully crude. But if you are finished, I suggest you leave. My affairs are my own."

The woman stood with a flourish, raising her hand to slap him.

Darien's hand caught her wrist.

"You don't want to do that, Sabine... I could sue. Only one woman can slap me, and you aren't her." said Darien steely as he dropped her wrist as if she were something disgusting.

Mortified, the woman stormed away.

_'Who was _SHE

Darien felt her indignation and chuckled.

_'Jealous, darling?'_

_'Huh, over _YOU_? Not likely. I just won't tolerate infidelity, Praedari. I'm stuck with you, after all. That woman should have tried harder to slap you. You'd deserve it.'_

_'And there won't be any. You, my delectable dear, are the only one I dream of now. And you, are welcome to slap me anytime.' _chuckled Darien.

Immediately, the link was broken as Serena retreated, leaving Darien by himself once more with a smile on his face.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's wrong, Serena?" asked Raye as she rocked her baby in her arms, making the little infant giggle and grab at her mother's long strands of hair.

"Ouch, honey. Don't pull mommy's hair."

Serena blinked in surprise. "No, I thought I felt some disturbance about Darien. But I don't know why I even bothered to link to him."

Lita laughed as some of the men chuckled softly around the table.

"It's a natural thing, Serena. You're already growing accustomed to your bond without you yourself realizing it." grinned Lita as she took a sip of her water.

Serena glared at the laughing Jadeite before slicing a piece of her steak off and chewing on it viciously as if it were a part of his flesh.

"Who wants to get used to this bond?" asked Serena rhetorically as she continued to cut at her dinner in harsh grating strokes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Darien tossed and turned in his bed trying to fall asleep. Again, the restlessness that Serena had chased away had returned. Getting up from his large silk covered bed, he walked towards the bar in his penthouse and poured himself a drink.

Even without the lights on, he could see the time shown on his clock clearly. The clock ticked steadily as the hands moved to show that it was 2am.

The streets outside were fairly empty except for the few couples coming out from the bars and pubs. The city lights blinked steadily as some of the neon colours changed from their electric blue to green and then red, putting on a display on the city skyline.

He wondered if Serena was awake.

What was the skyline from where she was? Was the wind blowing through the trees? Were the branches moving, causing their leaves to fall or rustle with their movement?

He wondered all of these things, but what he wondered most of all, was if his beloved Serena missed him as he did her.

He needed to see her.

Serena blinked and stared at the ceiling as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. What had awakened her? Getting up from her bed, she turned to look at the red digits of the digital clock by her bed that read 3.57am. Turning away, she made her way towards the balcony doors and pushed it open.

Walking out onto the balcony, she rested her hands on the cool sandstone railing and looked. Trees filled her view almost as far as she could see. The wind brought her no sense of danger, nothing was amiss as far as her eye could see.

So what had awakened her?

She frowned, rocking back and forth on her feet.

She could feel that something was approaching, and that something made her feel on the edge as adrenaline rushed through her veins. She was almost expecting something to happen.

It was excitement for sure...not fear.

Then she spotted it.

A dark shadow moving swiftly through the trees, was heading straight for her balcony. Serena was bewildered, why did she have the inexplicable overwhelming urge to jump down from the balcony to greet the shadow?

But before she could contemplate a decision, the blurry shadow had already leapt up onto her balcony.

It was a large dark panther.

"Darien."

Her arms reached out instinctively to hug the large cat as it stared at her with blue eyes that burned like sapphire.

Warm velvet fur turned to warm smooth skin under her hands as the huge cat regained his human form.

Serena blinked as she felt the change, pulling away from him.

"I missed you, Serena."

"Darien..."

"Yes?"

"You're not wearing a shirt!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Darien laughed aloud at her exclamation. Here he was, getting all romantic on her, and all she had taken note of was that he wasn't wearing a shirt. That was his Serena.

"And what are you doing here, Praedari? I thought you said you wouldn't be back tonight." said Serena as she poked him.

"I wasn't supposed to, but I missed you." purred Darien.

"Huh."

"It's true, love. It's rare that a Panthera male will even consent to be away from his mate when they have just bonded with each other." chuckled Darien as he brushed a strand of silver gold away from her cheek.

"So you're telling me you're not like any other male then?" laughed Serena.

"Exactly."

Both enjoyed a good laugh as their soft laughter echoed out onto the grounds of the estate.

Darien lifted his head up, cocked to one side as his ears picked up the rustling of leaves and the whispering of the wind as it blew through the trees. The night's forest was beckoning him.

Turning to his mate, he smiled.

"Come with me."

Serena frowned in confusion. "Come with you?"

"A run in the wood."

"Now?" asked Serena incredulous.

"Now." grinned Darien as he got up and pulled her to her feet.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Sounds of laughter in the night broke the silence of the forest as woodland animals from their thicket dens lifted their heads to listen to the sound of joy that floated through the trees.

Serena had never felt this exhilarated in her entire life. The rush of adrenaline and the playful manner that filled her body tonight was a very first for her.

The large panther that ran about her legs, or pretended to stalk her had her laughing and scampering fleet footedly through the woods.

Suddenly, the panther stopped and Serena watched as its whiskers and nose twitched as if scenting prey.

The wind brought the scent of deer grazing close by. Immediately, all play was forgotten as she watched the large cat creep gracefully and stealthily towards a nearby tree and scaling its great heights easily.

She lay low in the bushes as she watched the master predator at work. The cat's lazy yet graceful movements had her mesmerized as she watched it pick out a target.

The forest was silent with only the soft chirping of crickets and the odd hoot of an owl.

The cat's tail twitched and one of the deer raised its head in search of danger.

Serena held her breath as the deer returned to its peaceful grazing.

She knew the cat was about to pounce and kill its prey, yet she wasn't repulsed by the thought. In fact, the idea of watching the great predator carry out its hunt to the end seemed strangely erotic and called to the feline within her.

But a mischievous idea entered her head as she saw the cat go into a crouch on the tree, about to pounce...

She ran into the middle of the herd, startling the deer into a run as the cat leapt from the tree, and landing on nothing in surprise.

Serena laughed as she watched the herd of deer disappear into the night. The panther turned accusing eyes on her as it began to move steadily towards her in a menacing manner.

Serena danced out of its reach as it neared her, making teasing faces as she went.

The panther broke into a forward run, charging at her and Serena turned and fled, laughing as she went.

As she continued to evade his playful attempts to catch her, she found herself in front of a clear pool with a waterfall.

Unknown to her, Darien had led her back to the place where they had first met.

Serena sucked in a breath of amazement.

Suddenly, warm hands were around her waist as a head rested on her shoulder.

"Do you remember this place?"

"You're a sly one, Praedari. A girl could get into serious trouble with you." replied Serena huskily.

"Then, get into trouble with me." laughed Darien as he lifted her off her feet without warning.

"Darien!"

A rich deep laugh echoed from him as he ran and jumped into the pool with her, her scream of outrage piercing the air.

Both broke the surface of the water at the same time, Darien laughing as he slicked his wet hair back and Serena coughing and sputtering curses as she went, trying to push her wet hair out of her eyes.

"It's your punishment for chasing away my prey, love. Now I'll have to go and continue my hunt later in the night." grinned Darien.

"You ass!" coughed Serena as she pulled her long hair away from her face.

Darien chuckled as he held her close in the water, his forehead touching hers as she held the lower half of her face in her hands.

"Are you alright?"

"No!" complained Serena. "I have water up my nose."

Darien laughed again as he kissed her forehead.

Blue met blue as their eyes connected with each other and there was a sudden tingle of awareness.

There was silence and nothing made a sound except for the rushing of the water and the beating of their hearts that synchronized with each other.

Serena breath caught as Darien pulled her closer.

"This isn't us, Praedari..."

"Yes it is."

"We're just in the moment." panicked Serena.

"Then lets live in the moment." answered Darien as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Both opened their eyes to look at each other as their lips continued to touch. Then, both closed their eyes once more and deepened the kiss, forgetting everything else in the world.

There would be no hunt tonight.

Tonight, there would only be lovers under the stars of the midnight sky.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the city, Dimando sat in his darkened office and watched the blinking of the neon lights.

The old man had spoke on demons and shape-changers.

Obviously, the man who had Serena's scent was one of their kind. And yet, he was unknown to Dimando. Obviously, the male was not one of their vast circle that he had built over the years.

But anger grew.

Serena had chosen another male over him. When she had tried so hard to escape from him and the life he had offered. All her protests of wanting a normal life and not relying on any man.

Her man would pay.

Dimando's fists clenched and he leaned back into his chair. He would find out who the man was and then...

He would pay.

Serena was his.

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To be continued...

Ah hah! Completion of chapter 6 just before my birthday ends! So this is my present to myself and you guys who have all supported me throughout this story. So after this, I'm going to go back and concentrate on my final assignments. End term projects are swamping me. So be ready for another long wait. I already have a bit of chapter 7 written out though, so don't worry! I'll work on it as soon as I have time. -cheers-

12/11/05


	8. Eyes in the Dark

Title: Twilight  
Author: Tapestry  
Rating: R  
Standard Disclaimer Apply  
_'italics'_ denotes mind speaking  
**_bold italics_** denotes flashback  
15/11/05

"Woman was created from the ribs of man  
Not from his head to top him  
Nor from his feet to be walked upon  
She was made from his side to be his equal  
From beneath his arms to be protected  
From very near his heart to be loved."  
--Anonymous--

---------------------------------------------------------------------

- Chapter 7: Eyes in the Dark -

Dawn came and Serena awoke to find herself alone again in bed. She frowned as she sat up, the blankets pooling about her naked waist. Stretching herself languidly as how a cat would, she tried to remember the night's events.

Darien had come in the wee hours of the night and both of them had chased each other playfully in the forest before mating lust had overtaken them both.

However, there was no sign of him now, and she had no memory of how she had gotten back into her bed. But it was obvious, it was all Darien's doing and that he was most probably at the moment, back in the city.

Her mind reached out to touch him and found him slumbering peacefully in his bed at his penthouse. She laughed softly. He was exhausted, travelling from the city to the mansion and back again. Yet he had done so, just to see her.

A girl's heart really could just melt at such caring. Almost.

----

Darien blinked back his sensitive eyes as the sun peeked through his curtains to shine across his face. He groaned and eyed his clock grumpily. The red digits glared at him accusingly and told him it was time to work. Turning over onto his belly, he stretched, curling and uncurling his fingers into the bedcovers.

He wished he could have remained at the mansion, but he needed to be in the city for his search of Dimando and to take care of his company. Even a smoothly run company needed some supervision.

Running a hand through his sleep tousled hair, he got off his bed sleepily and walked nude to his bathroom to take a shower.

_'Humans have no sense of working hours.'_

_'Awake already, lazy?'_

_'Mmm...good morning, love.'_ purred Darien as the warm water hit his bare skin.

_'Humans have perfect working sense. They know not to waste time.'_ sniggered Serena cheekily.

Darien snorted. Most humans wouldn't know sense even if it had jumped up and bit them in the caboose.

_'No they don't. They have no idea of how to sleep properly. Their crazy 8 - 5 working hours proves it.'_

_'You're just lazy.'_

_'I'm a Panthera. It's feline to just laze and sleep.'_

_'Huh. Excuses, excuses.'_

Their bantering continued on until Darien had to cut off their link and get on with his work schedule.

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Dimando sat in front of his computer and stared at the screen before him. It was just amazing that he hadn't recognized the bastard. He had seen the face before on all the prime magazines, how was it he hadn't recognized him?

Darien Praedari.

The owner of that multi-billion dollar corporation that Dimando had been trying to negotiate a deal with. He had assumed the man was mortal and had thought it would be easy to usurp the company in perhaps, another 30 years or so. He could wait that long.

But if Darien Praedari truly was one of them...

Well... wasn't _that_ a worm in the barrel.

And he had Serena.

His nails were like claws as he gripped the armrest of his chair, gouging marks into it. She was his! He had met her before Praedari. The man had no right to Serena. No right at all.

A thought struck him and immediately, his fingers were flying over the keyboard. If Serena was with Praedari and she wasn't in the city, he obviously had to keep her somewhere nearby.

A cruel smile curled his lips as the information he was looking for appeared on his screen. Darien Praedari owned a large portion of property outside of the city.

And surely... Serena would be there.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Darien frowned at the plethora of reports and business assessments that required his attention. This was ridiculous.

_Leave the company for awhile and this is what happens._

Chaos.

He ran a hand through his hair in undisguised frustration. Everything had been so much easier a few hundred years ago. But as times changed and businesses grew...

There was only so much work one could delegate.

He really wanted to be back in the mansion with Serena. He could imagine her sitting curled up in his study reading one of the heavy books from her father's library. Or having an afternoon nap, naked in her bed. His feline side gave a yowl of approval at the thought.

The thought of himself naked beside her was even better.

Bad Darien.

----

Serena had lunch alone in the mansion as everybody else was out somewhere or other. It felt quite odd to be eating at a large table all by her lonesome.

After lunch, Serena spent the rest of the day wandering the large mansion, flitting in and out of rooms, spending an hour or so in the library before returning to the rooms that had belonged to her father.

Even then, she did not remain long.

Finally settling herself down on a stone bench in the garden, Serena allowed the evening breeze to brush over skin as she basked in the dying, yet warm rays of sunlight under a weeping willow that was planted on the estate.

She sat there a few minutes before a whisper of fallen leaves had her snapping her eyes open. Inhaling, she smelled nothing. Cocking her head to one side, listening for the elusive sound, Serena identified which way the wind was blowing.

The people or person sneaking towards her spot had to be downwind.

"Show yourself!" called Serena authoratively as she got up slowly, poised for an attack.

----

Dimando looked at the high wall before him. It was very high, but it would not be a problem for him. He had to admit, Praedari owned a huge plot of property.

Well, if Dimando had his way in the end, Darien Praedari would only have a square box buried 6 feet underground.

----

A dozen or so felines immediately came into view.

They were unfamiliar.

Serena clenched her fist, ready in case the large Panthera were hostile.

As they reached 2 feet of her, the Panthera morphed back into their biped forms.

Serena counted 3 females and 9 males. They watched her with unveiled curiosity, turning their heads this way and that to assess her.

The males moved closer and Serena jumped back in alarm. The nine men stopped immediately, bowing their heads to her and backing slightly.

The women proceeded to do the same. A short bow.

Serena was confused at their strange behaviour.

"What are you doing?"

One of the men was the first to answer.

"We are paying our respects, we heard Darien had found his true mate and came to see." he said. "We are part of his pride. Forgive us if we have startled you."

"Next time, use the door." replied Serena. "How did you know?"

"I was here, the night they found you." said one of the women.

"I don't remember seeing you."

"Oh, that's because I left soon after." grinned the woman.

"Why?"

"Well, I came to seduce Darien, but since you're his true mate-" started the woman before a hand was immediately clamped over her mouth by another of the women.

Serena's eyes were wide.

"Ignore Ramona." grinned one of the men nervously.

"Well, we've paid our respects, I suppose we will go now." said one of the men, tugging at his collar.

Ramona freed herself and smiled calling out gaily as the group proceeded to herd her back into the forest.

"You're lucky! I hope my true mate will be as good as Darien!"

"Ramona!" hissed one of the group as they disappeared.

A chuckle sounded behind her and Serena turned to find Nephlyte watching her, an amused expression on his face.

"You're back." said Serena, her attention still reeling over the small group that had already disappeared back into the copse of trees.

"I see the pride members got wind of you."

Seeing her still wide eyes, Nephlyte coughed a small laugh down. Discreetly hiding the tug at the corner of his lips.

"If you're worried about fidelity, I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about once a male finds his true mate."

Serena shot him an evil glare. "Who says I'm worried?"

_'Darien, you toad!'_ hissed her mind.

His surprise washed over her as he suddenly engulfed her thoughts in warm comfort.

_'What has you all a-rage, my love?'_

_'You cheating, two-timing, philandering bastard. I just met one of the women in your harem, that's what!'_

_'Harem?'_

_'Sultry eyed Ramona. Remember _her

_'Those days have passed, beloved. I want only you now.'_

_'Don't talk to me, swine.'_

_'You're jealous.'_

_'Damn straight.'_

_'You're starting to like me already.'_ came his smirking tone.

Serena stopped at that. Her brain whirling at his comment. Was she starting to like him? Nah...

_'I don't like you one bit.'_

But Serena could only smile as she heard him laughing and felt mental arms embrace her. Well... perhaps just a teeny bit.

_'I love you, Serena.'_

Though she had heard the declaration countless times, this was most likely the first time that she had heard such sweet poignant emotion in Darien's voice. And it was because of this that her heart gave a little flutter, blood rushing to her cheeks.

_'Hurry home, Darien.'_

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Darien could have sworn he was floating, even if he did not have that sort of ability as a member of an immortal powerful race. He would still have argued the point with anyone who said otherwise.

He was floating.

Serena had brought joy to his life and softened all the hard and jagged edges of his existence. It was still astounding to him how her words affected him. Three simple words.

Though they were not the words he longed to hear from her lips. These three words were a close second.

The soft telepathic whisper of her voice as she touched his mind and caressed his cheek.

_**'Hurry home, Darien'**_

A smile turned the corners of his lips. She was beginning to see his home as her home. They could go from here. Progress on with their relationship and shared lives. He wanted to show her the world and give her all there was of himself to give.

But first, there was that troublesome situation with Dimando Kreuz. And he also needed to tell her...

"Raphael." whispered Darien, as he bowed his head, clasping both hands together to rest on his forehead.

Her beloved father.

A part of him wanted to leave the past be, keep it buried and never think of it again. But he would be lying to Serena, and she deserved the truth.

_She might not understand_, his heart whispered.

But would it be fair to her? Better for him to tell her than for her to find out herself one day. But if he could keep it from her?

Darien shook his head in contempt. He would not insult his friend that way and bury his existence as if he were some dirty secret. He would not deny the memory.

He had to tell her about Raphael.

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Dimando watched her afar from one of the trees just outside of the mansion's compound. She was laughing and talking to a man with chocolate coloured hair. He cocked his head to the side, his claws digging furrows into the branch as he watched the expressions that flitted across her face.

She was beautiful. Just as she had been when he had first met her several years ago.

The silver gold locks that tumbled from her head swayed in the evening breeze, the slowly setting sun turning her hair into burnished gold.

He would not reveal himself to her yet. Not with that other male in the vicinity. He would see her on his own terms now that he knew where she was.

He would have smiled were he not in his panther form. His tail twitched from left to right as her scent wafted on the breeze to his sensitive nose. She was a perfect female to stand by his side as he built his empire amidst the cattle of humans.

Rising from his perch, he leaped down onto the ground, startling the small rodent that had been scrabbling at the tree's roots. His beautiful Serena...

_I've caught up with you, my love._

Throwing one last glance at the grey sandstone walls of the mansion, the large black panther broke into a run towards the city, away from the large mansion.

_I'll be seeing you, Serena._

----

Serena's head snapped up, her eyes searching for danger. The wind brought her nothing and yet, she was uneasy. A chill had crept down her spine like a sense of foreboding.

She was not one to ignore her more feral instincts.

Something was definitely wrong. Her eyes darted back and forth searching for any sort of oddity.

A hand touched her arm, bringing her out of her trance.

Serena hissed a warning at the interloper, her eyes narrowing to slits, as she bared her teeth.

Nephlyte jumped back a foot in surprise at the hostile female. Hadn't she just been smiling and laughing with him? What had happened?

Serena blinked when she realized she was snarling at Nephlyte, who bore a confused expression on his face.

"Have I offended you, Serena?"

"I'm sorry Nephlyte. But something was amiss..."

Nephlyte frowned, his head immediately lifting to scent the wind and listen for anything odd.

"There is nothing, but I cannot shake this feeling." murmured Serena as she wrapped both her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold.

"Perhaps we should go inside."

"I agree." nodded Serena as she turned to look over her shoulder as Nephlyte grasped her elbow, leading her into the mansion.

_'Darien?'_

_'What is it, Serena?'_

_'Will you be back tonight?'_

_'Is this concern for my presence I hear, my love?'_

_'Oh shut up! Forget I even asked.' _

Serena stomped into the house fuming. What had she been thinking? Asking Darien? Hah! She would have done better asking the rats that inhabited the surrounding forests.

_'What is wrong, Serena?' _came Darien's serious voice.

_'Forget it, Praedari.'_

_'Beloved...'_

_'It's just... something's wrong, Darien. I don't know what.'_

Darien sat up in his chair a little straighter, a frown creasing his brows. Serena was worried, that was for sure. And she wasn't one to jump at non-existent shadows.

_'I'll be home soon.'_

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It was near dawn when Darien finally managed to slip away from his duties in the office. Obsidian night was slowly beginning to turn a dusky blue-grey with the first streams of sunlight racing to light the sky.

A light mental touch told him Serena was asleep. A curve touched his lips as he imagined the tongue-lashing he would be receiving for failing to arrive home sooner.

Leaves drifted around him as the morning breeze stirred the trees. There was nothing more exhilarating than morning hunt as the sun rose to light the sky a pinkish pastel orange. Except maybe his mate.

Shifting to his panther form, Darien revelled in the cat's body as its different senses told him the layout of the land. He stretched, a rumble purring reverberating in his chest.

The cat twitched its nose, scenting the air. Members of his pride had visited the day before. Probably to take a look at his mate.

Darien was about to move on when the next breeze brought to him a scent that made him freeze, his hackles rising.

The spore of an unidentified male.

The cat hissed in territorial outrage.

Moving to track the intruder, Darien marked that the scent was already a day old and it led to the back of his property. Padding on huge paws to an old tree beyond his walls, Darien circled it, examining the scent.

The male had gone up the tree and spent at least an hour there as the smell was stronger. Claw marks on the tree and a half scuffled out paw print that lay in the dirt told Darien that the male was full grown and not a juvenile.

Darien snarled as he turned away in disgust. There was nothing to be done now but look for prey to take his anger out on. His predator yowled at the thought of blood and fresh meat.

----

Serena curled into the warm velvet pillow, its warmth and soft rumbling purr relaxing her body. Her eyebrows knitted at the thought. Purr? Velvet? She did not own any such 'pillow'.

Snapping her eyes open, her eyes saw the large back of a black panther resting at her side. Its heavy weight had made a deep indentation in the bed that had caused her to roll towards the large feline.

"Darien?"

The feline opened an eye, regarding her silently.

"What's wrong with _you_? Why are you in that form?" asked Serena as she ran a hand through the velvet fur of the cat. The panther closed its eyes, turning its head into her touch, butting against her hand.

"Huh... I must say, you're much more agreeable in this form."

The panther's eyes snapped open to stare unblinkingly at her face. Serena merely gave the cat a smirk and one last pat before rising from her reclined position.

However, before she could rise completely, the large feline had moved to position itself over her, a large paw by her head. Serena blinked in surprise.

As she watched the large cat looming over her shift shapes, it was once again Darien hovering over her, his body that was trapping her to the bed.

"So I'm more agreeable as the cat am I?"

"What's up _your_ backside today?" sighed Serena as she rolled her eyes.

Darien was merely silent as he leaned down to nuzzle her nose. While his hunt had gone successfully with him taking down an old doe, the predator within still snarled and hissed in outrage at the violation of its territory. He felt charged and on the edge, ready for battle.

Serena seemed to sense his chaotic thoughts as she twined her arms around his neck, her tongue coming out to flick at his lips. Where was her lover?

"Are you sure you're the _real_ Darien? Because the one I know would have been spouting his flowery compliments and trying to get into my pants by now."

"There was an intruder on my territory."

"Who?"

"A male."

"Well that really helps."

Darien hissed.

"You really need to work on your bad habit for being possessive, Praedari." sighed Serena as she patted the side of his face.

Darien buried his face into her neck, inhaling her scent as he ran his tongue on the slight mark near her collarbone.

Serena shuddered.

"That tickles, Darien."

"I know." he replied, as he lifted his head to grin evilly at her.

"Wha-"

That was when he attacked.

Serena tried to stop him but he wasn't letting up. Her legs kicking helplessly as Darien continued to assault her body. Tears ran down her eyes, her breathing becoming ragged and gasping.

"D-arien! St-stop iit..."

"Now why would I do that?"

"D-Dariiiiieeeen! I can't BREATHE!" screamed Serena through as another wave of tickling ensued.

-----

Raye's ears twitched as she heard the sounds of laughing. She frowned, tilting her head to try and discern where it was coming from but her attention went back to her tiny daughter as the two year old rooted around frantically at her.

"Yes, yes... you greedy little thing." laughed Raye as she lifted the bottle to her daughter's small pink mouth.

Her mate came to stand beside her, watching his family with smiling eyes. Raye lifted her head to look at him as he ran a finger slowly down his daughter's smooth downy cheek.

"She's growing stronger everyday." murmured Jadeite with a smile.

"Yes. And growing greedy and impatient just like her father."

Jadeite grinned. "She's a growing cub, love."

"I heard laughing just now, Jadeite. Was it Serena?"

"Mm-hmm. Darien returned in the wee hours of dawn this morning. But something's bugging him. He came straight through the patio when I went down to open them."

"So?"

"He was in his panther form."

"Oh... I see. Well, whatever it is, it looks like it's alright now. If he's teasing Serena that is."

"Ah, the wonders of a mate." laughed Jadeite as he bent to kiss her forehead. "Come on, Lita's cooking this morning.

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To be continued...

I actually was going to continue the story on, leading to Darien's first meeting with Dimando. However after reading again and again, I've decided to stop this chapter here, because in my opinion, trying to fit that time jump into this chapter seems a bit too tedious and unbelievable. Hence I've renamed this chapter and this chapter's original title will be pushed to chapter 8. Really sorry this took FOREVER to update. But look! This story's STILL alive!

21/07/06

Edited: 21/07/06


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